at a press conference on the disqualification of Pujut Assemblyman
Dr. Ting Tiong Choon.
KUCHING: The import value of food for Sarawak last year was RM4.44 billion, which is an increase from RM4.22 billion in 2015.
This was said by Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail when answering a question by Miro Simuh (BN – Serembu) during the State Legislative Assembly sitting here yesterday.
He added that to decrease the dependency on imported food, the ministry has come up with a few strategies such as increasing the production of local food through various programmes.
“We also increase Permanent Food Production Parks in certain areas and produce agrofood in bulk through the Food Basket Initiative,” he said.
He added that up to this point, the state has reached a level of subsistence in producing pork, beef, and chicken eggs.
As for rice, the state has only reached a subsistence level of 53 per cent and is expected to increase to 70 per cent by 2030.
“For beef and mutton, subsistence level is at 10 per cent and expected to increase to 50 per cent by 2030.
“For others like fruits and vegetables, it is the government’s plan to increase its production for domestic market in the long term,” he said.
