KUCHING: Members of the Anglican Church in Sarawak have been encouraged to partake in the state government’s agriculture transformation programme.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said he wanted each of the 40 parishes in the state to be a focal point of the programme.
“The objective of the agriculture transformation programme is to eradicate poverty in rural areas. And most of them are members of your church,” he said during the 29th Biennial Diocesan Synod and the New House of The Epiphany fundraising dinner here, Sunday night.
“Our state government has set a target of making Sarawak a net exporter of food products by 2030.
“Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg and I are very confident we can do it. For that, I want the church to play your part in this as well,” Uggah, who is also Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said.
He explained that Sarawak was shifting to modern farming by utilising systems like fertigation.
“Sarawak has a land of 134,000 square kilometres and has a population of about three million.
“New Zealand has a population of around five million, but they can produce food for 40 million people,” he said.
To achieve success like New Zealand, Uggah said Sarawak must make full use of modern technology and Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture.
“Therefore, I want parishes to start submitting your application…to set the fertigation system as a model in your parish.
“You can lay out the structure, and we will give you technical and marketing advice,” he added.
Also present were Uggah’s wife Datin Amar Doreen Mayang; State Secretary Datuk Jaul Samion; Secretary General of the Worldwide Anglican Communion Archbishop Dr Josiah Atkin Idowu-Fearson; New Zealand Archbishop Sir David Moxon; Bishop of the Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, the Right Reverend Danald Jutte; Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching Simon Poh and Unifor director Datuk Dr Janggu Ngenang.
