Lee (centre) dropping by at one of the booths at the Agro-Food Entrepreneurs Carnival.
MIRI (Oct 14): Minister of Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin has urged agro-based entrepreneurs here to be more creative in marketing their products, including by making their product packaging more attractive to consumers.
When entering a bigger market, he said they should also turn to technology to enable them to pack their products faster and in bigger volume.
“Especially if you want to export your products, you must use technology. Use machine and everything ‘automation’, then you can export your products in big quantity,” he said.
Lee gave this advice in his address when officiating at the launching of a three-day Agro-Food Entrepreneurs Carnival at Bintang Megamall here today.
Also present was deputy director of Sarawak Agriculture Department, Radziah Jack, and councillor Jeffrey Phang.
Lee also called on the Agriculture Department to identify more ways to help small-time agriculture product entrepreneurs expand their business and market through the use of food technology.
“Perhaps the department can also identify ways to keep our wet products fresh longer so that they can be exported out.
“We have a lot of fresh products which we can export out, such as ‘midin’ (fern). If we can find a technology that can keep them fresh for export, we can sell them to outside market,” he said.
Lee also urged members of the public here to support local Sarawak products as many are just as good, or even better, than those from outside the state and the country.
Meanwhile, the carnival organised by Sarawak Agriculture Department and Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan Kuching (PPK Kuching) featured 27 sales booths operated by 24 local agrofood entrepreneurs, and three booths from PPK Kuching.
The three-day carnival will end on Sunday.
“Carnivals like this bring many benefits to small entrepreneurs because we give a platform and opportunities to entrepreneurs to introduce their respective products to the market.
“Apart from that, with a carnival like this, entrepreneurs can find business matching opportunities with other industry players,” he said.
Lee disclosed that through Sarawak Agriculture Department, entrepreneurs involved in agro-based industry are assisted through Product Development Programme that provides them processing and packaging machines, product quality as well as advisory service.
“Apart from that, entrepreneurs will be guided through the human capital programme to improve their skills and knowledge with the latest technology in the agricultural industry,” he said.
Lee also informed that until the third quarter of this year, Sarawak Agriculture Department had taken part in 26 promotional activities such as Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism (Maha) Expo, Selangor International Expo, Pesta Benak and others, and the department had sent 54 entrepreneurs to take part in the programmes.