KUCHING, Oct 20: Sarawak wants to make farming a more profitable business to draw younger people into the sector, as ageing farmers and uncertainty over where to sell their produce threaten the future of rural agriculture.
Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said farmers must move beyond subsistence farming and treat agriculture as a business that delivers tangible returns.
He said the State was looking to develop agricultural industries that could provide reliable markets for farmers, rather than simply encouraging them to grow more crops without addressing where the produce would be sold.
“Every single drop of your sweat must be translated into dollar and cent,” he told reporters at a press conference after delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUS) complex today.
