BETONG, June 30: A collecting, processing, and packaging centre (CPPC) for agricultural products and an incubator station will be set up at the former Bukit Saban National Service Training camp.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the CPPC would allow farmers to sell their vegetables and fruits such as rambutan, coconut, pineapple and especially surplus durian during bumper harvests in order to generate income.
“The incubator station, to be manned by officers from the state Agriculture Department, is to train women in baking and confectionery art,” he said in a statement.
Uggah said the setting up of the two facilities were in realisation of the great agricultural potentials in the Betong Division and nearby areas.
For durian, he said the government had spent a sum of RM2.5 million to provide Musang King durian seedlings there.
Uggah announced this at his Bukit Saban state constituency Gawai/Raya gathering in Spaoh here today.
Present were Saribas state assemblyman Mohd Razi Sitam, political secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Richard Rapu, Betong Resident Friday Belik and his deputy Abang Mohammad Abang Trukey, and about 2,000 guests.
Uggah also disclosed that so far more than 15,000 seedlings had been planted with more to be distributed soon.
“The division too had an estimated 48,000 mature durian trees and the government is now encouraging landowners to fully utilise their lands.”
The state government was also identifying suitable sites to create more agroparks for landless farmers.
Meanwhile, Uggah said a model fertigation farm would be implemented in SMK Spaoh by this September.
“This is to demonstrate the practicality and simplicity of such a farming system for those without much land or manpower,” he said.
He said a sum of RM26 million had also been set aside to construct a new, iconic and bigger bridge to replace the current single way Spaoh bridge.
“I hope we can do justice to the government’s decision to build an airport here by producing enough agricultural products for export,” he said.
Earlier in the morning, Uggah visited the Bukit Saban camp and accompanying him was Andeline Poo from ATA Supplies which had this year exported 70 metric tonnes, out of the total 100 metric tonnes of durian paste to China.
He was confident with the setting up of the CPPC at Bukit Saban the state would be able to export even more in the next fruiting season.
Accompanying Uggah to the camp were camp operator Rosli Abu Samah, Dr Richard and Friday. — DayakDaily
