Tenom: State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar took the opportunity of the Kaamatan Festival here to urge all parties to share the responsibility of developing Sabah’s padi industry.
He said the festival is closely linked to padi cultivation and the livelihood of rural communities that depend on agriculture as a source of income.
Jamawi said this after closing the 2026 district-level Kaamatan for Tenom and Kemabong at Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Antanom, recently.
He said more than RM33.4 million would be spent in Tenom and Kemabong through various agricultural programmes, including improving farmers’ education and training as well as empowering agricultural activities in the Lagud Seberang area.
The Department of Irrigation and Drainage had also allocated RM17 million to upgrade the padi irrigation system in the area.
Meanwhile, Jamawi said his ministry had introduced the “Kebun Dapur” initiative to encourage communities to return to farming and small-scale livestock rearing around their homes.
The initiative includes vegetable cultivation and the rearing of chickens, ducks, quails and fish to strengthen household food security.
The response from Tenom residents towards the programme had been very encouraging, with supplies of chickens, ducks, quails and fish sold at minimum prices and selling out earlier than expected.
“The programme was supposed to last for three days, but all supplies were sold out and we had to add more supplies to meet public demand.
“God willing, we will activate all collection centres in every parliamentary constituency if the ‘Kebun Dapur’ initiative continues to receive positive response,” he said.
Present were Riduan Rubin, Chairman of MyIPO and Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry; Maria David Edick, Sabah Agriculture Department Director; Jifrin Mohamad, Assistant Kemabong District Officer; Zakaria Jamal, Assistant Kemabong District Officer; KDCA Tenom-Kemabong Chairman Stanis Buandi; and other local leaders.
