BETONG: A collecting, processing, and packaging centre (CPPC) and incubator station for agricultural produce will be set up at the former Bukit Saban National Service Training camp here.
Deputy Chief Minister and Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas announced this during a Gawai Raya gathering in Spaoh here yesterday.
Uggah said the centre would enable local farmers to sell their farm produce to generate income.
“The incubator station, which will be manned by officers from the state agriculture department, will train women in bakery and confectionery art.”
Uggah said the projects were testaments of the agricultural potentials in Betong Division and nearby areas.
He added that the government had spent a total of RM2.5 million to provide Musang King durian seedlings to farmers in the division.
So far, more than 15,000 seedlings had been planted with more to be distributed soon, he said while noting that the division had an estimated 48,000 matured durian trees.
Uggah added that a fertigation farm model would be implemented in SMK Spaoh by September this year.
“This is to demonstrate the practicality and simplicity of such farming system for those without much land or manpower,” he said, adding that RM26 million had been set aside to construct a new, iconic and bigger bridge to replace the current single-lane Spaoh bridge.
Earlier, Uggah visited Bukit Saban camp accompanied by Andeline Poo from ATA Supplies which had this year exported 70 metric tons of durian paste to China.
He said with the setting up of the CPPC at Bukit Saban, Sarawak would be able to export more durians in the next fruiting season.
