By Jacob Achoi
SERIAN, July 7: A total of 33 people from 19 villages within Tarat constituency received project input for the rearing of swiftlets, chicken and pigs at a total cost of RM465,000.
The projects would be implemented and monitored by State Veterinary Services Department (SVSD).
It comes as part of the state’s target to intensify food production, which also includes building more farm roads into rural areas.
In pointing out this, Assistant Minister of of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn said such effort was to meet the target of the state government target to become a net food exporter by 2030 as envisioned by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“The state government has targeted that we become a net food exporter by 2030 and we have nine years to go from now, so we have to catch up.
“In Kuching and other areas, there are plenty of crops and livestock farming and this we want to intensify to increase production, while at the same time build farm roads in rural areas intensify agricultural activities,” Sagah told reporters today after handing over of livestock rearing project input for Tarat constituency, held at Kpg Chupak in Serian division.
Sagah said that building farm roads would enable landowners to develop their idle land for commercial farming and to engage in double-cropping activities, hence help to increase food production.
At the ceremony, Sagah, who is Tarat assemblyman said the state has an added advantage that livestock rearing, including rearing of pigs, were not affected by diseases like hand, foot and mouth (HFM), African Swine Fever and pathogenic avian influenza.
This, he said had enabled the state export of pork and live pigs to Singapore, chicken meat to Hong Kong and Indonesia and birds nest to China.—DayakDaily
