KUCHING: Selangau MP, Edwin Banta has brought up problems in marketing agricultural products, especially fruits, and vegetables in rural areas, to the attention of the Dewan Rakyat.
He urged the government to pay attention to the issue and act immediately during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Wednesday.
This was reported by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) in a news report today (Feb 16)
Edwin suggested that a strategic collection centre or processing centre be developed in his constituency to provide facilities for farmers and gardeners to process and package their agricultural produce.
The centre, he said, would guarantee the durability of the products as well as improve their quality for foreign markets.
” If our agricultural produce cannot be sold or marketed, it is useless no matter how much or how good it is.
“Perhaps it is time that the relevant parties at either the state or regional level conduct specific research on how to make the most of the Pan Borneo Highway in helping the agricultural and food production sectors.
“This recommendation made because too much has been mentioned about increasing agricultural yields with all the latest technology and expertise but not market sustainability,” he said.
Edwin also raised the issue of the delay of Sekuau and Tatau water treatment plants.
He said currently the people’s representatives had to supply treated water with the help of the Public Works Department (PWD) to deliver water to the affected residents using water tankers.
“Selangau is in a dire need of a Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) training centre. There are many children from the area who have the potential to be trained,” he said.
Meanwhile, for the Tatau area, Edwin pointed out that the main issue had become the talk of the town was there was no bank in the area.
He said residents had to travel to Bintulu, located 60 kilometres away, just to withdraw or save a sum of RM20.
He called for a local bank branch to be set in the town.
“I hope that the federal government will be able to distribute allocations to each representative taking into account the condition and size of the constituency, apart from just counting the population.
“The vast area of Selangau requires very high transportation cost and the expenses to visit the area alone are quite high.
“So, it is not a joke when I state that I sometimes have to go through a walking trail, then take a boat, a four-wheel drive and a plane followed by a helicopter ride before arriving at a longhouse or a settlement in the interior of Selangau.
“There is no doubt that there are also some of us from Sabah and Sarawak, who have to walk up hills, cross rivers, ride four-wheel drives through logging roads, and ride helicopters to serve our constituencies,” he said.
