Efforts to promote terung Dayak praised

0

GOLDEN FRUITS: Ripe terung Dayak ready for harvesting.

SARIKEI: The Agriculture Department’s initiative to develop and promote new products made from terung asam or terung Dayak has received praise.

Businessman Joseph Allen said the initiative is timely and ought to be accorded appropriate and immediate follow up action.

He was commenting on Modernisation of Agriculture Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang’s winding-up speech on the final day of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday, which specially touched on the subject.

Joseph pointed out that current production of terung Dayak is not enough to meet local demand as planting is only done on a small scale mainly for private consumption.

“I hope the Department of Agriculture would expedite its research on developing value-added products for terung Dayak and embark on an aggressive initiative to promote it to local and international customers,” he said.

According to him, there should be no problem with the production of the fruit vegetable, as it thrives in Sarawak’s soil as well as climate.

He said commercialising the crop should be a windfall for local farmers.

Joseph, who is also involved in the film industry, said he would film the various terung Dayak dishes for promotional purposes.

They include sour fish and sour prawn dishes.