Abang Johari (standing ninth right) together with the recipients of the State Farmers’ Organisation awards at the dinner. Also seen are Entri (eighth right) and others.
KUCHING: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg says it is high time for farmers in the state to embrace ICT as a platform to market their produce.
With the use of ICT, traditional farmers would be able to transform themselves into modern farmers and thus be able to access the three billion people in the Asean region.
“We have the land (for farming) and by using technology, we can sell produce online,” said Abang Johari when officiating at ‘Peladang Nite 2017’ here last Saturday.
To encourage traditional farmers to shift into modern farming, he said the state government had identified a new site in Kota Samarahan to build a new headquarters for the State Farmers’ Organisation (SFO).
Estimated to cost around RM20 million, the headquarters would be fully equipped with ICT to tell the farmers in Sarawak that they have entered the realm of modern farming. Currently, the organisation is located at Jalan Dusun, Off Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, here.
The SFO, he added, would also be tasked to spearhead a pilot project on modern farming at a site yet to be identified.
The success of the pilot project would then be used as an effective template for aspiring farmers to shift into modern farming.
“Once ready, this template can be used by modern farmers from Lundu to Lawas,” said Abang Johari, adding that this would greatly aid farmers who make up the majority of the state’s rural population.
This was also a continuation of the policies mooted by former chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to lift up the standards of living among the rural populace.
State Farmers’ Organisation chairman Datuk Sylvester Entri also spoke at the function. He urged the state government to absorb the high cost of logistics.
“In general, the cost of logistics is more expensive than the agricultural inputs. This stunts productivity and lessens the income of the farmers,” said Entri.
He said if the government could absorb the cost of logistics, the farmers would be able to standardise the prices of their produce.
He also lamented the five per cent Sales Tax on sales of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of oil palm which is affecting the small-time farmers.
“I hope the government will abolish the sale tax imposed on small farmers and those who have less than 100 acres of oil palm plantation,” he added.
SFO has 164,574 members across 28 branches in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Anthony Nogeh Gumbek; Assistant Minister for Rural Economy (Interior Areas) and Plantation Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Assistant Minister for Rural Economy (Coastal Areas) and Fisheries Datuk Julaihi Narawi were among those present at the dinner.