Agriculture stations to be revamped – Uggah

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The briefing in progress.

BINTULU: The concept of agriculture stations in the state will be reviewed to ensure they remain relevant and in sync with the state’s objective to modernise the sector, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

The Minister of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development disclosed this when visiting the Sg Sebiew Agriculture Training Centre here on Sunday.

The occasion was also to brief the Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi (Kemena assemblyman), Assistant Minister of Native Laws and Customs Datuk John Sikie Tayai (Kakus), Samalaju assemblyman Majang Renggie and Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai on various agriculture projects implemented under the ministry’s Agriculture Facilitation Fund (AFF) in their respective constituencies.

Commenting further, Uggah said there was now the need for such centres to have bigger land of at least 40 hectares.

“We want them to have demonstration areas to introduce modern farming methods.

“Now, many such centres have small land which cannot effectively serve their purpose,” he said.

Uggah also said his ministry had planned to build up its pool of experts in various fields like durian cultivation and tree maintenance.

He added his ministry would also review its agriculture extension programme.

“To me, the programme is still very important – to impart knowledge and advices and provide training to our farmers.

“Such programmes seemed to take a backseat now.

“In advanced agricultural countries like Taiwan and Thailand, they are still very important,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said if in the past the focus had been for farmers to produce enough for their own consumption or on subsistence farming, the emphasis now is on modern commercial farming.

“We want to mobilise the smallholders. We want to plant and breed more so that we can export and not be importer all the time.

“I know this is going to be very challenging and I need all the assistance and feedback from all elected representatives,” he added.

When our farmers could produce in great quantity for sale, he said they could have better income.

Meanwhile on the AFF projects, Uggah said their implementation had been affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO) brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to catch up and I hope they can be implemented by end of this month,” he said.