By DayakDaily Team
KAPIT, Aug 17: Kapit MP Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi wants to see more ‘Made in Kapit’ products emerging from the interior—processed, branded, and marketed so that they can penetrate wider markets.
In a Facebook post, Nanta said his observations at Kapit Agrofest 2026 underscored the division’s growing potential and its role in strengthening Sarawak’s food security, which included the 394 hectares of land in Sungai Tunoh, Bukit Mabong, and Nanga Merit with the potential for rice cultivation.
He also noted that Kapit itself has many unique products such as dabai, empurau, and cocoa, showing that agriculture in Kapit is not a small sector.
“The potential is indeed vast. In Baleh and Merit, including Pala Wong, for example, there is potential to develop crops such as red rice.
“At the same time, the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) is also looking at how the agri-food sector can become one of the drivers for improving the socioeconomic well-being of communities in this area,” he said.
At the same time, Nanta, who is also Works Minister, said production alone is not enough, as it is just as vital that farmers have infrastructure to transport their produce, technology that improves productivity, processing facilities that add value, and access to wider markets.
He stressed that this is where the government must continue to play the role of facilitator, so people can not only produce but also sell their produce more effectively and earn higher incomes.
“With the right infrastructure, technology, industry support, and market access, I believe Kapit can do more than simply produce food for its own needs. Kapit can become an agri-food hub for Sarawak’s interior,” he said.
Also present was Sarawak Minister of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom. — DayakDaily
