Abang Johari (standing second left) together with (from standing left) Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap Jabu, Uggah, Petra Jaya MP Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Balai Ringin assemblyman Datuk Snowdan Lawan, Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat and Saribas assemblyman Mohamad Razi Sitam in a group photo after the ‘Berambeh Ngan Abang Jo’ townhall session in Betong this morning.
BETONG: Sarawak will be increasing its tilapia export to Singapore due to overwhelming demand from the country, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Abang Johari said he was approached by a Singapore minister recently that Singapore wants more of Sarawak tilapia because of its high quality.
“Since we set up the Sarawak Trade Office in Singapore recently, we have been interacting with the various industries in Singapore. And recently we have exported about 12 tons of our Batang Ai tilapia to Singapore – the first in Sarawak history.
“Then one minister of Singapore approached me and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said to increase the volume of export of tilapia to Singapore.
“I asked why, he said Sarawak tilapia is much better than the Peninsular Malaysia tilapia,” he said during the ‘Berambeh Ngan Abang Jo’ townhall session here this morning.
He said, the Singapore minister explained to him that the Sarawak Batang Ai tilapia was much fresher and of better quality compared to the pond-grown tilapia of the peninsula.
“That is only Batang Ai, not yet Bakun, Murum and Baleh. And they haven’t even tried our empurau yet,” Abang Johari added.
In relation to that, he told hundreds of local people attending the townhall session to take part in the government’s effort to turn Betong, Sri Aman and Sarikei into the food basket of the region.
He said the state government has started several initiatives for the food basket programme such as setting up agroparks in the three districts, as well as encouraging and helping farmers to adapt modern farming techniques to boost their production and quality.
He said if Sarawakian farm produce could penetrate the Singaporean market, then it could penetrate any other market globally.
This was because Singapore has got a very high and stringent quality requirements when it comes to food products, Abang Johari added.
“We also have facilitation fund under Uggah’s Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development. The fund is to help our farmers to adapt modern technology and to train them to use technologies like Internet of Things (IoT).
“We need to use these modern farming methods like fertigation and so on because in Singapore they are very strict (in food quality standards) – don’t want too much chemicals in farm produce.
“That is why we work with Singapore because they have the best standards in the world,” he said.
He also said the state government also introduces micro credit schemes during the 2020 State Budget announcement, where RM30 million has been put aside to be loaned to entrepreneurs and even farmers in the state to kick start their business and modern farms.
“This micro credit scheme goes out to the urban and rural entrepreneurs and farmers. For the urban this micro credit will be given out by the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) while for the rural we are working together with Agrobank,” said Abang Johari.