By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 16: Kelulut honey is being positioned as a new driver of rural economic growth in Kapit, with community projects backed by research, innovation and technology helping local entrepreneurs move beyond raw production into higher-value processing, marketing and commercialisation.
Minister of Works and Kapit MP Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said rural economies could no longer depend solely on raw commodities, stressing the need to build value chains that enable communities to produce high-value products, adopt technology and access wider markets.
He said initiatives such as the High Impact Community Projects (HICP) implemented in Sarawak had demonstrated that investment in research, innovation and knowledge transfer could deliver meaningful improvements to rural livelihoods.
“The future of the rural economy cannot depend on raw commodities alone. We need to build value chains that allow communities to produce high-value products, master technology and penetrate wider markets,” he said in a post shared on his social media today.
Nanta, who is also chairman of the Ulu Rajang Development Agency (URDA), said the success of HICP projects, which recorded an increase of more than 25 per cent in average participant income, showed the potential of community-based economic models supported by research institutions.
He said several areas in the Kapit parliamentary constituency had been selected for high-impact projects, including kelulut honey initiatives in Melatai Selirik and Kampung Tatai Mas Raweng, an integrated livestock farming project in Nanga Yong, and the construction of the Upper Rajang Honey Processing & Marketing Centre in Song.
“The centre would serve as a hub for processing, marketing, training and the development of the kelulut honey industry in Kapit,” he said.
Nanta highlighted that the projects were part of broader efforts to strengthen rural communities by providing them with knowledge, skills, technology and market access.
“Assistance and allocations are important, but what is more important is ensuring communities have the capability to stand independently and generate sustainable income,” he said.
The development of the kelulut honey industry in Kapit has been supported through collaboration between government agencies, higher learning institutions and communities, including the involvement of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
Through a RM7 million allocation from the Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (TERAJU) to USM under the HICP Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Fund, 100 Bumiputera participants from the B40 group in Sarawak have benefited directly from the programme.
Nanta said participants’ incomes had increased to between RM3,000 and RM7,000 per month, while the initiative also produced 10 innovation elements and eight downstream products supported by certifications such as Halal, MeSTI, HACCP and GMP.
“These achievements demonstrate that when research is aligned with community needs and supported by the government and implementing agencies, the outcome is not merely innovation in laboratories, but economic opportunities that can truly transform people’s lives,” he said.
Nanta recently led a delegation from URDA and the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) to the Advance National Honey Landmark (AnNaHL) Translational Centre at USM Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, to study a community development model with potential application in Sarawak.
The URDA team, led by Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Law and Customs) and Bukit Goram assemblyman Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat, includes Murum assemblyma Kennedy Chukpai Ugon, RECODA chief executive officer Datuk Ismawi Ismuni and Kapit Division Resident Elvis Didit.
He said the visit strengthened his belief that universities should be viewed as strategic partners in developing rural economies, particularly through research, innovation and technology transfer.
“Universities are not merely centres of research, but strategic partners in building community economies,” he said.
Nanta said URDA would continue to facilitate cooperation between the government, universities, development agencies and local communities to expand economic opportunities in rural areas.
He expressed confidence that the kelulut honey model developed through initiatives such as AnNaHL could become a catalyst for accelerating rural development in Kapit and across Sarawak.
“Our goal is not merely to produce more kelulut honey, but to create more rural entrepreneurs who can generate sustainable income through innovation and technology,” he said. — DayakDaily
