Abang Johari said the move would enable Sarawak to transform its agriculture into a commercial food industry and empower the smallholders in the agriculture sector as they needed to adopt a more professional image. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (Sept 25): Sarawak is considering renaming its Department of Agriculture as Department of Food Industry in line with the state’s drive towards commercialisation in the industry, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Speaking to the reporters, he said the move would enable Sarawak to transform its agriculture into a commercial food industry and empower the smallholders in the agriculture sector as they needed to adopt a more professional image.
“We have to explore this…we want to change so that we produce farm managers which are better in the realm of business,” he told a press conference after opening the First International Conference on Biotechnology, Smart Farming, and Entrepreneurship for Food Security (BioSFE 2023) here.
Abang Johari also explained that the move would also encourage the adoption of new farming practices using technology.
He said this is important as it would not only boost productivity but also improve the livelihood of farmers as Sarawak aims to become a food hub in the region by 2030.
“We need to change our cultivation practice. Because now our agriculture practice is still not for business. It is based on subsistence whereby the production is minimal. The cultivation practice relies on the land ecology process,” he added.
When asked when the name change would materialise, Abang Johari said the state government was still looking into the matter.