KUCHING: The Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the College of International Education Of Nanjing Agriculture University (COIE-NAU), China to explore the full potential of Sarawak’s agriculture systems through knowledge sharing.
Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu said the importance of the MoU is to encourage networking, and make local agriculture commercially viable.
“To transform what we have here, especially the young people with technology, we need a good partner and collaboration to move forward on a long-term basis.
“Most importantly, is to develop our youth. We want to be a developed state by 2030 in this region on its own, and we need to be stable with all our resources and agriculture is a very important step that we are looking into,” he said in his speech before witnessing the MoU signing between SDGA and NAU today.
Rentap added that the collaboration between SDGA and NAU may also assist the state’s food security.
“We are blessed that Sarawak is a very big state which has plenty of land and resources as well as a population of less than 3 million.
“We need food security because we still rely on imports of goods and agricultural food products from outside. This is when we realised we need to improve our food security,” he added.
SDGA president Dr. Jawing Chunggat, hoped the MoU will have a positive impact on the state government’s direction towards food security and sustainability.
“The SDGA is committed towards promoting education, training, and research among Dayak graduates, fostering unity and cooperation among them and advocating the rights and interests of all Sarawakians,” he said.
COIE-NAU is on a three-day networking visit where the delegates along with SDGA will be visiting key agencies, namely the Ministry of Food Industries, Commodities and Regional Development, Department of Agriculture (DoA), Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI), Centre of Technical Excellence (CENTEX) and Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC).
Among those present at the MoU signing ceremony were Senator Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim, Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Datuk Allan Keripin Nangkai, TROPI director Datuk Dr Lulie Melling, College of International Education of Nanjing Agriculture University dean Professor Dr. Han Jiqin, NAU College of Economics and Management associate dean Professor Dr. Geng Xianhui, and SBC chief executive officer Dr. Charlie Yeo.
