Jabu (fourth right), Mong (third right) and Lai (sixth right) and others holding the national-level Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day 2015 celebration promotional placard after launching it yesterday.
KUCHING: Sarawak will be hosting the national-level Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day 2015 from Nov 27 to Dec 3.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Afred Jabu Numpang said it will be held at Kota Samarahan Civic Centre and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to launch the event on Nov 28, while Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem will close the celebration on Dec 2.
“We would like to thank the federal government, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, for giving this opportunity for Sarawak to host this year’s national-level Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day 2015 celebration,” he said at a press conference after launching the promotion of the event here yesterday.
According to Jabu, who is also the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, the federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and its agencies had given support in terms of advice and financial allocation for the organisation of the national-level event.
He said the theme for the celebration this year is ‘Agrotechnology the Catalyst of Transformation’ and 12 states have confirmed their participation in the celebration and exhibition so far.
“We are expecting about 10,000 people. The state organising committee met many times, including to determine and examine the exhibition site so that during the opening ceremony, all the facilities will be ready.”
Jabu said the exhibitors would be from all sectors of agriculture and agro-based industry such as farming, veterinary, fisheries and engineering.
On the theme of this year’s celebration, he said it implied that there was a need to place priority on technology advancement in the agriculture sector.
“In order to enhance productivity, we need a lot of research to give us back-up services to improve our production capacity. Not only that, when we are efficient in production, we produce good quality raw materials.
“We want to produce good quality value-added products and when we have all those, we need good strategies as to how to market our agricultural products both domestically or internationally.”
He regarded the Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day 2015 as very important to provide innovative ideas to those involved to enable them to increase productivity and income.
Meanwhile, he said his ministry would be holding a meeting with the recipients of the previous Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day awards from the state to get an update on their entrepreneurship development.
Through the meeting, he said the government would be able to identify their problems and financial needs to help them increase their production.
“This is because we believe that Sarawak has the potential to develop in agriculture and livestock breeding in the future and become one of the major producers of agriculture products in the country.”
Among those present at the launching of the promotion of the national-level Farmers, Fishermen and Livestock Breeders Day celebration 2015 were Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Research and Marketing) Datuk Mong Dagang and state Agriculture Department director Datu Lai Kui Fong.