KUCHING, Mar 5: Sarawak should emulate Singapore’s technologically advanced vertical farming innovation to attract younger generation in the sector.
Deputy Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said this adoption will make it very attractive to the new breed of young educated farmers in urban areas.
“We want to encourage more young people to take up modern agriculture as their profession so that we can increase our production of food and food products,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon at his office on Monday.
He emphasised that modern agriculture was one area that Sarawak could learn from the Republic.
Uggah also added that the state is currently focusing on local rice production, which poses as a challenge.
“Our Ministry of Food Industries, Commodities and Regional Development is targeting a 60% self-sufficiency level in rice production by 2030.
“Rice production is a very important focus of the government. We look forward to using technological solutions like drones to do the spraying of fertiliser and pesticide besides general monitoring,” he added.
Thus, he stressed that there is the need to use high yielding hybrid seeds and mechanical harvesters as more harvest will contribute to greater income for the farmers.
Despite Sarawak being declared as a high income state by the World Bank, there were still people with low or little income.
“Helping them to increase their income is equally very important to the government,” Uggah said. – TVS
