Uggah (fifth left) takes part in the miring ceremony on stage. From left are state Agriculture Department director Datu Lai Kui Fong, Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy permanent secretary Datu Dr Ngenang Jangu, Jamit, Nanta, Masing, Mussem, Ugak, Nyabong and Kapit Resident Joseph Belayong.
KAPIT: The Ministry for Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy will develop a plan for Kapit’s smallholders.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy, said Kapit has great potential to be developed for agriculture due to its vast tracts of land.
“We need to have detailed data. In Kapit, we have 12,000 smallholders. We need to know the details of the data. In that way, we can plan the best module for the smallholders,” he said during the Agriculture Department’s Appreciation Night on Friday.
“I call on civil servants to go to the ground. The objective is to reach out to the farmers to assist them. Remember, our core business is to help farmers to generate a higher income.”
Uggah pointed out that agriculture continues to be an important sector of the state’s economy, contributing RM15.5 billion last year, which represents 14.6 per cent of the state’s gross domestic product.
He said it is also an important source of employment, employing a quarter of the state’s total workforce.
“However, the state remains a net importer of food. In 2015, the state imported RM4.26 billion worth of food products while exporting RM1.6 billion. The huge deficit means that more efforts are needed to reduce the food import bills,” he added.
Meanwhile, a total of 179 staff received service excellence awards.
Uggah said the recipients are special because they represent values and qualities that should be emulated.
He also wished 97 staff who are retiring a happy retirement and advised them to continue contributing to society.
Also present at the event were Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Assistant Minister for Agriculture Malcom Mussem Lamoh, Hulu Rajang Member of Parliament Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang, and Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat.