S’wak govt signs MoU with Jaya Tiasa, Carus to develop coconut industry

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Uggah (centre) witnessing the exchange of MoU between Chai (third left) and Wong (second right). Sagah is at third right.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jaya Tiasa Holdings Berhad (Jaya Tiasa) and Carus Eco Plants Sdn Bhd (Carus) to promote and enhance cooperation in the development of Sarawak’s coconut industry.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said among the scope of the MoU includes the supply of quality coconut for the coconut industry; promotion and marketing of coconut for domestic and export markets; and research and development in the coconut production and downstream processing.

“The state aims to be a net exporter of food by 2030. One of the initiatives to achieve this goal is through close collaboration with the private sector that has the technology, management expertise, capital and ready access markets both at domestic and global arena.

“The private sector plays a very important role and we need the private sector investment injection into the state economy through agriculture sector,” he said prior to witnessing the signing of the MoU at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.

The Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister noted that both Jaya Tiasa and Carus have different focus areas in their collaboration with the state government through its Department of Agriculture (DOA) for the coconut industry.

“Jaya Tiasa’s long term development plan is to focus on planting Matag coconuts at large scale to produce old coconuts which will be processed mainly for ‘santan’ (coconut milk) and virgin coconut oil.

“For Carus, they focus on planting Pandan/fragrant coconut to produce fresh coconut which will be processed and packed for markets,” he elaborated.

Signing the MoU on behalf of the state government was DOA acting director Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet while Jaya Tiasa and Carus were represented by its chief executive officer Dato Wong Sie Young and chairman and director Jeremy Sim Hui Yii respectively.

Also present was Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn.