KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s third Agriculture Policy (SAP) has the capacity to realise the aspiration of the government to develop the agriculture sector with its sound and effective strategies.
According to Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin in his 2016 address at Wisma Pertanian near here yesterday, the policy also emphasised on the use of idle land for the production of food based on land suitability for agriculture activities.
Other issues stressed in the policy are upgrading steps that encompassed basic facilities such as roads and electricity supply, processing centres, agriculture research, farm mechanisation and technology, planting devices, expansion services, skilled manpower as well as special investment incentives for large scale agriculture and bio-security.
He said under the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP), the agriculture sector had spent 96 percent of the RM4.8 million allocated by the federal and 90 percent out of RM41.55 million allocation from the state.
He commended the Agriculture Department for its success in planting 1,766 hectares of land with various plants including fruits, vegetables and for the Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM).
He said throughout the 10MP, TKPM Tawau had contributed RM5.28 million worth of production that had benefited 49 agri-entrepreneurs.
He also said TKPM Sg. Koyah was already completed while TKPM Masilau and Putatan were expected to be completed and in operation by early 2017.
At the same time, Yahya also mentioned that the State Self Sustaining Level (SSL) for its vegetables production had reached 100 percent, 97 percent for fruits and 30 percent for rice.
Meanwhile the production of marine fish products last year was 200,000 metric tonnes and aquaculture production is expected to increase to 100,000 metric tonnes.
Income generated in the sector was expected to be around RM1.8 billion.
Yahya said the Fisheries Department would continue carrying out its supporting programmes such as the Tagal, enforcement, socio-economic development and aquaculture certification such as MyGAP and SAAB to ensure the sustainability and quality of its fisheries production for both local and foreign markets.
Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), various programmes / projects would undertake, said Yahya.
He said a total of seven new projects and one continuing project would be carried out by the department in 2016 from its federal funding, while 30 continuing projects and four new projects would be undertaken this year under the state funding.
He said the department estimated the fisheries production in Sabah to reach RM2.0 billion per annum by 2020 and for fish production to increase to 423,360 metric tonnes by 2020.
In his speech, Yahya also commended the Department of Veterinarian Services and Animal Industry (DOVSAI) for its success in maintaining the state’s status as animal disease free.
He added that the department had successfully curbed the importation of animals particularly dogs and cats from places / countries that were afflicted with rabies.
At the same time, he also mentioned that the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) would be undertaking five irrigation and drainage projects during the 11MP. The projects would require RM22 million in allocations and would be implemented in Kota Belud, Ranau, Sook and Beaufort.
The department would also undertake 13 projects in Sandakan, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Kudat, Beaufort, Lahad Datu and Tenom, worth RM130 million to address the frequency of disasters such as flooding, he said.
He said by the end of 11MP, a total of 70,000 people and 400 hectares of land would be free of flood threats in Sandakan, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Kudat, Beaufort, Lahad Datu and Tenom.
He added that DID had been allocated RM55 million by the federal government during the 11MP to carry out the Sungai Moyog Flood Mitigation Plan, Lido Kota Kinabalu Flood Mitigation Plan, Sungai Gurong-Gurong Kota Belud Flood Mitigation Plan and Sabah’s various flood mitigation plans.