KUCHING: The RM300 million allocation under Budget 2026 to support grain corn, aquaculture and paddy cultivation nationwide must allocate a larger share to Sarawak, says Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.
He said the funds, provided under the Food Security Enhancement Programme, were shared among all 13 states and not solely for Sarawak.
The limited allocation, he added, would slow down progress if not strategically channelled.
Dr Rundi stressed that priority should be given to strengthening farm infrastructure such as drainage and irrigation systems, farm roads, collection centres and marketing logistics, which are fundamental to boosting productivity and market access.
“Given the existing development gap between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, it is crucial that a bigger portion of allocation be directed towards agricultural development in Sarawak.
“Without sufficient funding, the pace of development will remain slow, constraining farmers’ capacity to scale up production and limiting the state’s contribution to national food security.
“Enhanced investment in these areas is therefore imperative to unlock Sarawak’s full potential and to realise its aspiration of becoming a net food exporter by 2030,” he said when contacted.
On the RM55 million allocation for fruit cultivation, including pineapple infrastructure in Sarawak, he said the amount was a positive step but inadequate to drive substantial growth, urging a more strategic approach to maximise the impact.
He said priority should be given to export-oriented crops such as pineapple, which have established market demand and strong potential for value-added processing.
“We are hopeful that Sarawak, through the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (MPIB), will be allocated a substantial portion to realise its future role as a major pineapple producer of Malaysia.
“Spreading resources too thinly across multiple fruit commodities may dilute the impact of the allocation and undermine the overall objective of strengthening the sector’s commercial viability and export capacity,” he stressed.
On overall allocations, Dr Rundi said Budget 2026 demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to strengthening food security and reducing the food import bill.
However, he noted that the level of funding announced might not be sufficient for Sarawak’s needs.
“Sarawak’s agricultural priorities go beyond increasing production; we focus on building a modern, market-driven and export-oriented food system.
“This requires strengthening the entire value chain, from farm to table. More resources are needed for drainage and irrigation systems, farm roads, logistics and value-adding facilities, which are fundamental to improving efficiency and competitiveness,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said he was pleased that the federal government had announced RM2.62 billion of assistance to boost local paddy and rice production, the highest in history.
“I hope all assistance can be delivered more effectively — timely and cost effective — to be of greater significance to our paddy farmers.
“The extension of paddy assistance to Sarawak is crucial to ensure our smallholder farmers can enjoy the same support as those in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
Looking ahead, Dr Rundi said Sarawak’s agricultural transformation required more region-specific allocation frameworks and inclusive financing mechanisms to ensure rural communities benefitted fully from federal funding.
He said investment in research and development, agricultural extension, digital agriculture and continuous capacity building was also necessary to equip farmers with modern knowledge, technology and management skills.
“Beyond the current measures, additional support is necessary to sustain Sarawak’s long-term agricultural transformation and ensure that rural communities fully benefit.
“Continuous capacity building and upskilling programmes are vital to equip farmers and agropreneurs with modern farming knowledge, technological literacy and business management skills.
“Without these enablers, allocations focused mainly on production may yield only short-term gains rather than sustainable transformation,” he added.
