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By Shikin Louis
SEBUYAU, Sept 17: Sebuyau should emulate Perak’s Bagan Datuk in planting Matag coconut which has high yields, says Deputy Prime Minister Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He noted that Sebuyau and Bagan Datuk have similar issues where large tracts of land initially used for coconut farming were replaced by oil palm but had now returned towards redeveloping the coconut industry again.
He suggested Sebuyau assemblyman Datuk Julaihi Narawi provide a scheme for coconut replanting according to the newest and best coconut seeds.
“I suggest Sebuyau to plant new coconut seed Matag using tissue culture which could produce about 200 fruits per year for one tree. For a hectare of land, we could plant about 1,500 trees.
“Additionally, this Matag coconut matures every two months, meaning there would be six harvest times a year.
“If we stop importing coconuts, our local produce may even be more expensive than oil palm.
“Therefore, I encourage Sebuyau farmers to emulate Bagan Datuk people, with a condition that there is no import of coconuts,” he said when speaking at a programme held here.
He further said that he would instruct United Plantations Berhad which runs coconut plantations in Bagan Datuk, to supply the coconut seed from tissue culture to Sebuyau at an affordable price.
Zahid who is Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Bagan Datuk MP, also highlighted the issue of local coconut prices being “too low” due to competition from imported coconuts and thus, killing small businesses.
“I have informed Mat Sabu (Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu) during a Cabinet meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Kuching yesterday (Sept 16) to cease importing coconuts and we need to prioritise local coconut production and the smallholders.
“I will follow up on this matter next week because we have sufficient local coconut supply so why do we need to import?” he questioned.
Also present were Julaihi who is the Sarawak’s Minister of Utility and Telecommunication; Federal Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Kota Samarahan MP Datuk Rubiah Wang; Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Environment Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni; and Batang Lupar MP Mohamad Shafizan Kepli. — DayakDaily
