To meet the growing demands for premium produce and fresh vegetables, Sarawak’s agricultural sector is experiencing major changes. Its Sarawak government, in talks led by Deputy Minister of the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs and Ukas) Datuk Abdullah Saidol, is emphasizing the importance for enhancing production in order to meet consumer demands. It was highlighted at a gathering of the community in Tulai in which plans for recording farm records as well as production issues were revealed and aimed at strategic improvement.

In the past, Sarawak especially Bintangor (formerly called Binatang) was known for its production of oranges in the 60s. Today there is a Ministry for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (MFICORD) promotes an advanced development of agriculture for fruit and vegetables in order to reach Sarawak’s Gemilang targets in 2030. Introduction of new fruits which thrive in the tropical climate like guava “jambu” (water apple) as well as jackfruit and pineapples, are a testimony to this effort. They are among the other new varieties of vegetables like “kangkong” (water spinach) and sweet corn and sweet potato are being developed to increase their dimension and flavour, thanks to selective breeding as well as optimal development techniques.

In addition The Japanese method of agriculture is used as an example for the production of top-quality produce. With a lot of research and dedication they’ve developed specific apple varieties through controlling the growth environment, which include soil type temperatures, humidity, and temperature. Strategies like “fruit thinning’ make sure that each apple gets enough nutrition and room as well as comprehensive crop management techniques address inputs of nutrients as well as effective pest control.

Source: The Borneo Post