By William Isau
KANOWIT, March 5: Residents here have been told to identify a signature crop that can provide them with a sustainable source of income.
“If we mention pepper, the most significant places we will think of are Julau and Pakan areas. But in Kanowit we have yet to identify what type of crop our farmers here can focus on,” said Ngemah assemblyman Anyi Jana at the closing of an Agriculture Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP) at Rh Corina Jenipa, Nanga Dap recently.
Anyi said the Department of Agriculture has provisions to help small farmers to develop and expand their farms, but the agricultural product can either be oil palm or pepper.
He told those present that participating in the agricultural sector is a good way to increase their income, as it would help generate local economic activity.
Touching on the programme, Anyi urged the local residents to acquire as much as the knowledge they could.
“There are about 10 to 11 longhouses in Nanga Dap. We are not going to set a very high target but if at least 30 per cent of them become entrepreneurs or farmers and practise what they learn through this course, it is good enough.
“This shows that the time you spent to attend this course is worthwhile and the effectiveness of this course is also proven,” he said.
Anyi noted the income of farmers is not fixed as it also depends on their effort and knowledge.
“The more knowledge we have, the more land we have and the better we are at cultivating it, the income will indeed increase. Some can achieve up to RM10,000, RM20,000 and even RM30,000 income per month. It is up to us.
“If we refer to the Department of Agriculture, there are statistics showing farmers’ success. This is what we want so that Kanowit is comparable to other areas that are advanced in the field of agriculture,” he added. — DayakDaily
