PADAWAN: Plans for a centralised banana chips centre aim to strengthen the value chain and boost rural incomes.
The banana chips industry has the potential to become a high-impact community economic model, particularly when developed through a centralised approach to enhance rural earnings.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Mambong assemblyman, Datuk Dr Jerip Susil has proposed establishing a centralised processing and marketing centre involving four villages to increase production capacity and strengthen the value chain.
“The supply of raw materials must be ensured through group-based banana cultivation by making use of idle land, along with technical support from the Department of Agriculture,” he said during the closing ceremony of the workshop on Saturday (March 28).
Earlier, he said that the workshop, held at the Bengoh Dam Resettlement Scheme, demonstrates that small industries can grow in an organised and sustainable manner.
He added that training programmes conducted over the past three years have shown positive results, with participants now able to produce quality products and market them consistently.
“Although production is currently on the scale of hundreds of packets per month, its economic potential is significant if managed systematically and in an integrated way,” he said.
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of the Padawan Sub-District Office, Julius Scott Sapong, said the programme reflects the active role of the Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) in driving community development.
The workshop, organised by the Women’s Affairs Bureau of Kampung Pain Bojong, was attended by 53 participants from four villages, with guidance provided by 10 instructors from Kampung Punau.
