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| Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin Yassin at the crop research
section of the Sarawak pavilion |
Introduction
The Sarawak exhibition pavilion at MAHA 2004 Show was top among the State pavilions
at the end of a weeklong show. It was awarded a trophy and a certificate. For
representatives of the six agencies (Department of Agriculture Sarawak, Pepper
Marketing Board Malaysia, Crop Research & Application Unit {CRAUN}, Sarawak
Economic Development Corporation {SEDC}, Sarawak Tourism Board, and Sarawak Craft
Council) selected by the Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture to represent
the State at the pavilion, it had also been an exhaustive week of shuttling back
and forth to the Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC)
about 30 km from KL city centre, putting up their exhibits at the pavilion and
attending to visitors to the pavilion subsequently. The pavilion had been designed
to reflect a unique Sarawak exhibiting unique agricultural, horticultural and
agro tourism related
products.
MAHA Objectives
One of the main objectives of MAHA 2004 is :
to provide an avenue for participating industries
to showcase their agro-based products and technology so as to encourage
regional and international investors
to involve themselves in modernizing agriculture. It opens up learning
opportunities to them
to improve productivity and output quality.
Its other objectives were:-
to modernize traditional agriculture and to commercialize it through technology.
to encourage private sector investment/participation in agricultural development.
to increase export of agricultural and horticultural products.
Using a floor space of 15m x 6m, the Sarawak pavilion standing next to Melaka
Pavilion amidst a total of 80 local and 11 international pavilions, was adjudged
the best pavilion among pavilions representing respective States in Malaysia when
MAHA show ended on 10 October 2004 (Sunday).
MAHA 2004 show was launched by the PM in conjunction with the national HPPN 2004
on Tuesday 5 October 2004. Held at MIECC, Sri Kembangan, Selangor Darul Ehsan,
the once-in-two-year Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agro tourism show
invited participation of both local and foreign agro-based agencies. Among countries
which took up the international pavilions were India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam,
and Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Holland and the UK. This year was the second
time Sarawak had participated in MAHA Show since it was revived four years ago.
After a lapse of over 30 years, the government held MAHA Show at Stadium Bukit
Jalil in 1999.
Visits of PM and Sarawak VIPs
Deputy Chief Minister who is also Minister of Modernization
of Agriculture, Sarawak, YB Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr George Chan with his two assistants
YB
Datuk Peter Nyarok and YB Encik Dublin Unting, Permanent Secretary Encik Jaul
Samion and Director of Agriculture Sarawak Datu Haji Mohd Sepuan bin Anu, toured
the Sarawak pavilion while on their way to the combined MAHA Show & national
HPPN launching ceremony, on 5 October 2004.
In anticipation of a visit by the PM, which didn’t materialize, the Sarawak
delegation also crowded into the Sarawak pavilion following the ceremony. The
PM succeeded to visit the pavilion the following day (6 October 2004) after 6.00
p.m. News of his officiating at the national HPPN 2004 in conjunction with
the MAHA 2004 show was duly covered by the media.
 |
Trophy & Certificate — a worthwhile achievement
say DOA crop research staff of
ARC Semongok |
Quote of the Federal Minister in MAHA 2004 Exhibition
Directory
The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Tan Sri Dato’
Haji Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin visited the store before the close of the show.
Among other things, in his message appearing in the MAHA 2004 Exhibition Directory,
he said: °MAHA 2004 would help establish a forum to encourage intensive dialogues,
geared to focus largely on exploring innovative means towards inculcating greater
modernization in agriculture and on providing new marketing opportunities for
local, regional as well as international players. Among others, the ministry hopes
that through such forums, they could identify alternative means to which productivity
in Malaysian agriculture could be further embellished and for the benefits of
economies of scale to be enjoyed by farmers in the country, through modernized
techniques."
Agriculture Congress
Also in conjunction with MAHA 2004 show and national HPPN 2004, a three- day Agriculture
Congress was also held at the MIECC.Several officers from Sarawak were sent by
State Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture.
Among the objectives of the congress are:-
- to expose participants to advanced and tested technologies in agriculture and
- to create a forum for intellectual dialogue
- to discuss, deliberate and disseminate innovations to modernize agriculture.
Sales
Sarawak Sales Stall (with only 3m x 6m floor space) was also put up next to Sabah
Sales Stall in the compound of the MIECC. Roaring sales were made of both raw
and processed products of crop, fishery and livestock as well as art and crafts
of Sarawak. The Farmers’ Institution Branch of Agriculture Department together
with State Farmers’ Organization and PPK Kuching coordinated the sales of
its various branded items. Among others, they were Bario Rice, Tebaloi and Ikan
Terubok.
Thanks to PMB and all participating agencies
The Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture, as the coordinating ministry for
the Sarawak participation in the show, thanked the agencies involved and staff
for their dedication in putting up the show and sales for the State. Special thanks
to the Malaysian Pepper Marketing Board (PMB) for agreeing to combine or else
the State of Sarawak would have been 9m x 6m only, smaller by 36 square meters.
For the main show the coordinating agency was the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
and Agro-based Industries which promoted the show as the largest show of its kind
in Southeast Asia.
Thanks to Booth Contractor
The Sarawak pavilion design was ethnic-based. It aimed to reflect on the multi-ethnic
composition of people in the State. Its exhibition bays were open so as to integrate
the varied products on display rather than to compartmentalize them by the various
agencies taking part in the exhibition as done in past shows.
Thanks also to the contractor IDA Marketing Sdn Bhd for a job welldone.
MAHA Theme
Sarawak products on display this time ranged from pepper, sago, crop R&D results,
fisheries, and livestock to the art and crafts of Sarawak.And in line with MAHA
2004 Exhibition °Technology - the forefront of agro-commercialization,‘`
Sarawak Pavilion also displayed the technologies used to procure the products.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sarawak’T›HÕûs main objective of show-casing
its niche agricultural products at MAHA 2004 has largely been met. It won the
Best State Pavilion Award. With the successful display of niche products having
commercial potential at the grand international show, we now look forward to seeing
our hope of attracting investment to Sarawak coming to fruition. We now look forward
to investors, public and private, coming to invest their capital to develop Sarawak
products of commercial potential. And to quote the spokesperson of Ministry of
Modernization of Agriculture, the State Government now looks at the agricultural
sector as the third engine of growth to stimulate the state’T›HÕûs
economic growth further while also diversifying the manufacturing and service
sectors in line with the Federal Government.
Hajjah Fatimah Othman of ARC Semongok, Hajjah Jamaiah
of DOA Fsheries, Maurice Balang of STB, Zahri Ferhi of CRAUN, Dayangku Saadiah
of SEDC, William Sze of PMB, and Beatrice Kedoh of SCC contributed to this report.
Crop R&D of DOA Sarawak’s
Show-casing the outcome of its R&D projects on pepper, highland cardamom,
isau, dabai and its an expert system, XCROP, was the Department of Agriculture
under the Ministry of Modernization of Agriculture Sarawak. Exhibits of the R&D
findings were selected to conjure the hope that they could lead to the generation
of new production technologies and new crops, in support of commercialization
of agriculture.Exhibits include:-
- Black Pepper (Piper nigrum), the king of spices - Recommended production technologies
emphasizing on quality planting materials, sustainable production system, crop
health, improved processing techniques and value-added produce for the niche market.
- Information Technology Application in agriculture - An expert system for diagnosing
health problems in the black pepper plant (Latest version).
- Cardamom (Elletaria cardamomum), the queen of spices - Its potentials for planting
in the Highlands of Sarawak and as a new commercial crop
- Kacangma (Leonurus sibiricus L.) - Its development and promotion as a flagship
herb of Sarawak.
- Bario Rice - A specialty quality rice of Sarawak
- Indigenous Fruit - The potentials of the green longan of Sarawak (Dimocarpus
longan var. malesianus) and Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) as new crops for large-scale
planting.
- Food Crop Zones in Sarawak - Maps to show the zones were displayed.
- Fisheries - Induced breeding of Empurau (Tor tambroides) and Ketam Suri (Blue
swimming crab) has been successfully done by researchers of the Department of
Agriculture Sarawak. The induced breeding technology here serves conservation
objective and has the potential to develop pond rearing
of these two aquaculture products.
The successes were the first in Malaysia. Ikan Empurau is the indigenous river
fish of Sarawak. Up till now this can only be caught in the interior part of certain
rivers and its market price can reach up to RM260.00 per kilogram. Apart from
its value as a conservation technology, the potential of induced breeding technology
for commercial production exists.
- Commerical Aquaculture - Sarawak enforces licensing of all shrimp farms and
cage culture farms. It does so mainly in consideration of the environment. The
objective is to ensure long-term sustainability of the industry by enforcing practices
to protect the natural environment. Starting from the shrimp hatchery onward,
all shrimp farms are licensed in Sarawak. The state is proud to be the only State
in Malaysia to forcefully regulate aquaculture activities through licensing. This
being the case, the potential areas of shrimp farming and cage culture as identified
on Sarawak maps were displayed for the information of investors having interest
in commercial aquaculture.
Since the 1980, the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) has involved
itself in commercial tiger prawn farming. ts first licensed tiger prawn farm was
set up in Mukah in 1986. esides showing its successful tiger prawn projects, SEDC
also put up posters to show how it has positioned itself as a successful joint-venture
partner in commercial rearing of Siakap and Grouper in brackish water and in commercial
rearing of ornamental Arowana fish in freshwater.
- Commercial Livestock Farm - SEDC also put up posters to attract prospective
investors to the potentials for commercial livestock development. osters highlighted
prospects for species such as deer, camel, ostrich and cattle in Sarawak.
The corporation currently maintains several livestock farms in Sarawak and in
Australia. It is keen to attract investors and potential joint-venture partners
to facilitate commercial livestock rearing as well as marketing of the livestock
products both inside and outside Sarawak. Sarawak was portrayed as state certified
free from Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) of cattle.
- Sarawak Pepper - Sarawak Pepper is a recognized international pepper grade.
MikroKleen (MK) Steam-Treated Pepper, Creamy White Pepper, and SaraSpice brand
of various pepper products, are among the downstream pepper products for display
at the pavilion by the Pepper Marketing Board of Malaysia.
A Johor-based SMI firm was invited to display its range of pepper products including
its peculiar ¡°Boneo Spice‘` brand while the Board displayed information
on its latest pepper processing technologies being applied to sustain and to improve
the °Sarawak Pepper‘` quality. (Note that °Boneo Spice"
is easily misread as °Borneo Spice‘` for Sarawak is on the island of
Borneo).
- Sago - CRAUN (Crop Research & Application Unit) is an agency that is willing
to collaborate with prospective investors interested in commercial exploitation
of starch derived from sago. Various sago-starch based food product samples apart
from the now famous Tebaloi were displayed.
Established on 22nd July 1993 under Sarawak Land Custody and Development Authority
(Pelita), CRAUN primarily undertakes R&D on sago and any other under-exploited
crops with commercial potential. It sets its vision to achieve worldwide recognition
as the authority on sago (Metroxylon sagu) and other underexploited tropical crops
of potential economic importance. CRAUN was corporatized in 1997 to become a wholly-owned
government company and known as CRAUN Research Sdn Bhd.
Sarawak Arts and Craft
Selected art and crafts of Sarawak were also displayed, thanks to the Sarawak
Craft Council. So were Pua Kumbu and other Sarawak souvenir crafts popular with
the foreign tourists to Sarawak. Leaflets and postcards promoting the arts and
crafts of Sarawak were displayed for free collection by interested visitors. Basket-making
demonstration was featured at the Sarawak stall during VIP visit to the Sarawak
Pavilion.
Tourism
As part of Malaysia, Sarawak is prosperous, rapidly modernizing, safe and clean;
yet it retains the essence of times gone by, offering to the outside visitor
fascinating contrast. Most of all, it offers visitors enriching, sincere experiences.
With more than 27 ethnic groups and 16 National Parks including our Mulu World
Heritage site, it offers the discerning traveller ecotourism at its best plus,
an ideal destination for incentives. Informative tourist brochures and leaflets
on Sarawak’s tourist spots were made freely available for interested visitors.
One brochure with the compelling title "41 Reasons Why You Should Visit Sarawak"
proved to be very popular with visitors to the Sarawak Pavilion. Its poster, brochures,
leaflets, together with the postcards of the Sarawak Craft Council all say that
Sarawak has a dedicated tourism board which promotes Sarawak as a premier ecotourism
destination.
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