Kota Kinabalu: The State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry listed four main goals for 2026, focusing first and foremost on ensuring the State can feed itself better.
“The Ministry has a strategic direction with food security as the primary concern,” its Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar told reporters after delivering his Ministry’s mandate cum New Year 2026 celebration at Wisma Pertanian, here, Monday.
Advertisement
He pointed out that Sabah currently produces only 19 per cent of its own rice needs, even though the State has plenty of land and many paddy fields sitting idle.
“It is disheartening that our rice (self-sufficiency) is at 19 per cent when we have vast land and large areas of abandoned paddy fields. Many silos are operating independently, without any coordination,” he said.
He said the Ministry, through the Sabah Padi and Rice Board, will bring together all Federal and State agencies to work as one team to increase the State’s rice production.
The second goal is to connect better with the public through improved advice services and training, using both face-to-face meetings and social media.
The third is to get more young people involved in farming, fishing, livestock rearing and the food business throughout the year.
The fourth focuses on helping Sabah’s food business owners use social media better to sell their products.
“I am confident that when these four priorities are combined, they will strengthen the community’s economy,” Jamawi said.
Additionally, he pointed out the Kitchen Garden initiative that has started this year will help rural communities learn how to start small farms or raise animals at home.
“This is just the beginning, but we have initiatives for what comes next, with the involvement of all government agencies,” he said.
The first Kitchen Garden will be launched in Tuaran and the Chief Minister is scheduled to officiate it in February. The initiative uses a mentor-mentee approach to attract young people’s interest.
“The Ministry has identified credible agriculture mentors who will be involved in the Kitchen Garden initiative,” Jamawi said.
“Through direct guidance, we aim to produce more young agropreneurs who are not only skilled technically, but also efficient in management and marketing.
“This initiative will provide exposure to smart farming technology, automation and the use of Internet of Things, in line with the agenda to modernise Sabah’s agriculture sector,” he said.
He added that agriculture will get more attention under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) 2.0 plan, which the Chief Minister will launch on Jan 30.
Jamawi admitted that agriculture has fallen behind tourism and industry sectors under the SMJ 1.0.
“This time with SMJ 2.0, the Chief Minister has requested that it (agriculture) be placed at the top so we will work harder to ensure the agriculture sector can contribute better to SMJ 2.0,” Jamawi said.
The State Government acknowledges that the agriculture, fisheries and food industry sectors are strategic pillars of the State’s development, not only to ensure food security but also to strengthen its economy and generate income for rural communities.
Jamawi said every planning and implementation by the Ministry must align with the SMJ agenda and be strengthened through close cooperation between the State and Federal Governments.
He also pointed out the importance of good governance, efficient delivery systems and high integrity with zero tolerance for wastage and inefficiency.
“The shift to smart farming, the use of mechanisation, precision agriculture practices and the use of data, technology and innovation need to be accelerated through strategic cooperation with universities and research institutions,” he said.
He noted that the Ministry has been allocated RM559.85 million in the 2026 State Budget, pointing out that it proves the State Government’s commitment to driving the agriculture sector for the wellbeing of farmers, breeders, fishermen and agro-entrepreneurs.
On concerns about old paddy fields being turned into housing estates in places like Kota Belud, Tuaran and Penampang, Jamawi said the Government needs to better enforce laws on how land is used under the Agriculture Department.
“We need to re-enforce the land utilisation laws under the Agriculture Department,” he said, adding that when paddy fields are developed for other uses, proper steps should be taken to replace them with new rice-growing areas somewhere else.
“We cannot just sit and watch. We will take appropriate steps to ensure that even if an area has been developed, other areas are opened for rice cultivation,” he said.
