Remember hardcore poor in your plans, Hajiji tells Sabah agriculture ministry

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s hardcore poor must be prioritised in the state’s agricultural and fisheries programs, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Chief Minister issued this instruction to the state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry in his working visit there on Tuesday (June 4).

He said the ministry must include the hardcore poor in action plans and programmes as part of the initiative to eradicate poverty in Sabah.

“The ministry must not leave out the poor,” he said during the meeting at Wisma Pertanian here.

“Under the eKasih (National Poverty Data Bank System) database, as of May 18, Sabah’s hardcore poor heads of household dropped to 8,699.

“I hope more ministry initiatives will involve them. We want to make sure they are lifted out of poverty,” Hajiji added.

Based on the briefing by four departments and four agencies under the ministry, he said plans were in place to propel Sabah’s agriculture, fishery and food industries forward.

Importantly, the Chief Minister said the recently-approved Sabah Padi and Rice Board (LPBS) must get moving as soon as possible to boost Sabah’s food self-sufficiency level (SSL).

Unutilised land owned by government-linked companies should be developed for agriculture, particularly padi as mandated by the state Cabinet, he said.

Hajiji said in this respect, the ministry could assist in providing the necessary resources.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said LPBS was set up to enhance Sabah’s SSL to 65% in 2030 and 100% in 2035.

Kitingan, who is also state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister, said his ministry was appointing 15 board members including a chairman for the LPBS.

The board’s focus will be on boosting padi yields from the average of 2.9 metric tonnes per hectare to seven metric tonnes per hectare by 2030, he said.

He added this will be achieved by developing abandoned padi fields to increase acreage and opening up new fields through partnerships with state GLCs and private investors.

The board’s purview will include issuance of export and import licenses and permits as well as packaging and sale of padi and rice in Sabah, he said.

Cabinet ministers, State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and senior government officers were also in attendance during Hajiji’s visit.