KUCHING: The state government will establish two new agriculture research centres in Sarawak to add to the existing one at Semenggok, near here.
LEARNING MORE: Jabu (front) and Nyarok having a close look at one of the nurseries at the centre.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said that the setting up of the new ARCs, one each in the central and northern regions, was part of the government’s efforts in enhancing the agricultural sector.
Without revealing the total cost of the projects, he said that the proposal had been approved by the cabinet and expected to be implemented by next year.
“Apart from that we are also planning to revamp more than 20 agriculture stations throughout the state. The stations which had been left unused for years will soon be reconstructed and repaired, starting next year,” he said yesterday during a visit to the Agriculture Research Centre (ARC) at Semenggok, Kilometre 19, Jalan Puncak Borneo.
He said that the government was also in the process of recruiting 96 new agriculture assistants (AAs) to be posted to the various stations.
“All these are necessary because we want our researchers to reach out to the rural areas. For this, the stations at district and divisional levels have to be operational,” said Jabu, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture.
He said that growers of red rice throughout the state would be able to seek a more promising price for their commodity starting next year following the introduction of a special fund to enable the rice to be sold at market price.
According to him, the proposal to establish such fund had been approved by the cabinet should be available from next year.
“At the moment the farmers do not have a very fair deal. I am disappointed because Nestle is buying red rice from these farmers at less than RM3 per kilogramme, when they are prepared to buy the same product from Thailand at a higher price.
Jabu was accompanied during his visit to Semenggok ARC yesterday by Assistant Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Datuk Peter Nyarok.