Awang Tengah flanked by Dr Abdul Rahman (left) and Henry during the briefing on Wednesday.
MIRI (June 26): Sinampuan and Tanjong Katong have been identified as locations for a pilot padi plantation project in Sundar, Lawas, said Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
The project will commence soon after the conclusion of a field study by the Sarawak Agriculture Department.
It will be implemented through a collaboration involving private investors and experts from the Universiti Malaya, with authorities identifying Sinampuan and Tanjong Katong in the Sundar sub-district as the key locations.
“A pilot project will be rolled out first to earmark the specific areas, and the state government will assist in this endeavour,” he said after attending a briefing by the Sarawak Ministry of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development in Lawas on Wednesday.
Also at the briefing were State Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; Lawas MP Dato Henry Sum Agong; Batu Danau assemblyman Dato Paulus Palu Gumbang; and Political Secretaries to the Premier, Awangku Jinal Abedin Dato Pengiran Jawa and Sam Laya.
The state government has set aside RM500 million for padi cultivation in northern Sarawak as part of the state’s strategy to achieve food security, said Awang Tengah.
He said the allocation will focus on developing specific infrastructure for the irrigation and drainage systems of rice-producing areas in the Miri and Limbang divisions.
The Ba Kelalan highlands, Long Semadoh, and Trusan have also been identified as suitable for large-scale padi cultivation, he added.
Awang Tengah, who is also State Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development and Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment, said he is looking forward to the success of the buffalo farming project at the Meragang Buffalo Breeding Station.
Aiming to produce mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk for export to international markets, the project is expected to boost the local economy with investor involvement and cooperation from the State Area Farmers’ Organisation.
“The project will open up job opportunities for locals, who will also receive skills training through collaboration with Centexs Lawas, especially in the production of buffalo milk for cheese,” he said.
The state government has also provided assistance in the development of basic infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and water supply to expedite the project’s implementation, he said.
He assured that investor needs would be given due attention through development allocations under the Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA), which oversees infrastructure development in the Limbang and Lawas districts.