IT’S the start of the fruit season in Sabah and soon you will see people from all over the state coming out with their produce in markets, shops and even supermarkets.
These are people who, for generations, have grown fruit trees at the back of their homes and have passed down this tradition, so to speak, to their children. I have to admit I am one of them.
It’s not only fruits but rice, vegetables, herbs, flowers as well as chickens in our backyard, buffaloes in our fields and other livestock and fish.
But, generally, that is who we are — planters, growers and breeders.
Our forefathers had the foresight of reminding us the importance of toiling the soil, especially in Sabah which is a vast state.
This was why I made it my policy as the chief minister to include agriculture as one of the main economic development thrusts on my agenda — alongside the tourism and manufacturing sectors.
When I laid out the agenda or “Halatuju”, I emphasised the need to elevate the agricultural sector and bring it to a progressive level where people can realise how important it is.
We are among the main growers of oil palm, cocoa, mushrooms, ginger, coffee, rubber and coconut in the country as well as dairy products and poultry.
Among the key points to move forward were to modernise our approach and increase productivity and output of products. This would bring volume to our products.
It’s no longer about “slash and burn” or “to rely on rain water”. It’s about putting in place a proper irrigation system, zoning, the use of good fertilisers and machinery — all towards enhancing efficiency.
The next step would be to value-add and improve the quality of our products. This is to ensure we create the demand for our fruits, vegetables, livestock, fish that we grow and other byproducts such as latex. This is where marketing comes in place.
With all this in place, we can reduce our reliance on food products and introduce the concept of zoning where we reach out to farming communities and help them develop.
All this at the back of an approach to ensure Sabah’s mega biodiversity is protected and optimised through research and development carried out by experts from universities, public and private institutions.
I also foresee the need for more skilled people in the agricultural sector as it is no longer about using the cangkul (backhoe) and slashing weed with a parang.
We need people who are trained on how to plant, manage, operate and develop the sector which is heavily dependent on the human factor. There are institutions now that are training our children to become the future farmers of the state.
Biotechnology and bio-economy will be among the new growth areas for the state of Sabah.
To do this, we also bring in help from the Federal Government, and it is good to note that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is one leader that has always given his support to the people of Sabah.
The close state-Federal relationship we have through the prime minister has helped push for more progress in many ways, including the agricultural sector.
With federal help through the many agencies under various ministries, it can be utilised to ensure the success of the agricultural section and at the same time encourage the people and private sector to participate in this agenda.
Development in Sabah has to be based on the existing strength, specifically its rich natural resources. These resources are available and some have yet to be fully exploited to benefit the development of the state and nation.
The process of development and progress requires systematic and comprehensive planning addressing the multiple dimensions involved; economic, social, politics, culture and human resource.
In this context, the social agenda is meant to balance the economic dimensions of growth. This balance is a necessity, among others, to reduce the negative impacts of a fast-paced economic development.
Balanced development also emphasises the need to bring about equality between urban and rural areas, commercial and traditional sectors and so forth.
In layman terms, agriculture helps the people feed themselves, earn a good income and remain healthy — but we need to do it right at the same time.