BINTULU: The Agricultural Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP) continues to prove its effectiveness as a catalyst for the transformation of the rural agriculture sector when 250 participants from 12 longhouses participated in the programme which ended at Rumah Tabor Lasah, Sungai Sera, Sebauh.

Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak (M-FICORD), Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom said that AgriCOP not only brings the services of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) closer to the village and longhouse communities, but also serves as a platform for the delivery of knowledge and modern agricultural methods to the farming community.

“AgriCOP is a programme that we bring to be close to the community living in villages or longhouses.

“In fact, this programme is also a platform for DOA to share information and the latest methods in the agricultural sector to make it easier for entrepreneurs while strengthening the agricultural sector,” he said at the AgriCOP postponement ceremony at Rumah Tabor Lasah, Sungai Sera, Sebauh, on Friday.

He stressed that organising AgriCOP also aims to attract young graduates and youth to venture into the agricultural sector, which is now easier to operate through the use of high-tech machines and various government initiatives such as greenhouses, smart agriculture and agroparks.

According to him, Internet of Things (IoT)-based technology has begun to be introduced in modern agriculture, including at the Sungai Sebiew Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) which is developing a precision farming project.

“Through this technology, field work can be controlled remotely using the internet, thus reducing dependence on manual labour.

“I hope that young people dare to learn this new technology through the training provided, where they will be given plots of land and greenhouses as models for starting modern agricultural enterprises,” he explained.

Commenting on the proposed agropark project, he praised the leadership of Tuai Rumah Tabor who is proactive in supporting government initiatives, but stressed that the community should be wise in choosing products with high potential in terms of market value and demand.

“We want the leadership at the village and longhouse levels to be the link with the government in announcing programmes and initiatives that can improve the household economy. However, each project must be seen in terms of market value so that this effort truly yields returns,” he stressed.

Dato Sri Dr. Stephen Rundi also reminded that all the knowledge learned through AgriCOP should be practiced continuously for the survival of the agricultural sector, in addition to inviting the farming community to equip themselves with IoT knowledge so that they do not lag behind developed countries that are now completely dependent on smart technology.

At the event, he also announced an allocation of RM300,000 through the Rural Transformation Project (RTP) to Rumah Tabor Lasah and RM30,000 to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) of the longhouse.

Meanwhile, Deputy Ministers of M-FICORD, Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahman Ismail and Datuk Maclaine @ Martin Ben, each contributed RM10,000 to the Rumah Tabor Lasah Women’s Bureau.

Also present at the event were Bintulu Division Resident Datu Nyurak Keti and Sarawak Department of Agriculture Director Dominic Chunggat. -UKASnews