Sarawak, according to Abang Johari, needed to use smart farming and train its human resources in technology to achieve this.
According to Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak will collaborate with the Netherlands to transform its agriculture sector through technology and ensure food security.
Sarawak, according to the premier, is eager to learn from the Netherlands to transform its agriculture sector, which, despite its small land area and population, is the world’s second-largest food exporter. Sarawak can learn how the agricultural sector in the Netherlands has developed, where land use is not wasted.
“We have plenty of land here, so we can be a food exporter in this part of the world, especially since half of the world’s population is within a six-hour flight.”
“We can reach out to this market to help eradicate hunger and provide affordable food to contribute to the prosperity of people in this region,” he told reporters on Tuesday (Jan 17), after kicking off the Sarawak-Netherlands food security workshop here.
Sarawak, according to Abang Johari, needed to use smart farming and train its human resources in technology to achieve this.
“I hope the workshop will serve as a platform for us to share Dutch success and encourage the use of technology to produce quality food,” he said.
In his earlier speech, Abang Johari stated that Sarawak’s agriculture sector lacked the command of technology, soil management, and nurseries to produce seeds. He stated that many farmers still used traditional methods and that changing their mindset to adopt technology was difficult.
“If we can address these challenges, I believe we can transform the entire sector and contribute to regional food security,” he said.
Abang Johari later witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by the Sarawak Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development Ministry with the Sarawak Metropolitan Food Cluster Consortium, a Sarawak-Dutch group, to develop metropolitan food clusters in the state.
The Dutch metropolitan food cluster concept addresses food production chain and sustainability issues by converting rural landscapes near urban areas into food production areas and optimising logistics to connect them to domestic and external markets.
“This partnership comes at an opportune time as Sarawak embarks on a journey to revolutionise its agriculture industry while responding to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals through the metropolitan food cluster concept,” said Netherlands ambassador to Malaysia Jacques Werner.
According to him, the concept entailed integrating horticulture and greenhouses, livestock, animal feed, aquaculture, processing centres, and collection centres, with a focus on innovation and digital transformation. Werner also stated that the Dutch were eager to share their knowledge in order to make sustainable food production a global effort.
“I hope that with Sarawak’s Dutch connection, this can inspire potential trade and knowledge exchange among us, and serve as a blueprint for growth and prosperity for all,” he added.