SIBU: A study to evaluate the effectiveness of the state government’s assistance in providing pesticides and fertilisers for longhouse baby corn projects will be conducted at Rh Bungan.
Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation, and Talent Development, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee said by analyzing the increment in farmers’ income, it can gauge the project’s effectiveness.
“Each piece of baby corn sells for 30 cents, averaging to a monthly earning between RM2,000-RM3,000. Therefore, I suggest we relook at ways to increase their income after the assistance is provided.
“Now, they don’t need to buy fertilisers and pesticides (for a year). So far, they have received nearly RM10,000 each (to buy pesticides and fertilisers),” he added.
Annuar shared this during the presentation ceremony for pesticides and fertilisers worth RM290,000 to 29 recipients at Rh Bungan on Thursday.
The Nangka assemblyman reckoned that he would discuss with supermarkets and hotels in Sibu town to trade directly with the baby corn dealer from the longhouses.
“So far, they have relied on selling through middlemen who then take their product to supermarkets and hotels.
“What if the longhouse JKKK committee set up a sales committee to sell these products directly, ensuring that the profits return to the longhouse or the community? This way, their profit margins will increase compared to the current situation,” he explained.
He stressed that the Sarawak government aims for small commodity farmers to earn RM6,000 per month by 2030, hence it is important to be successful in this endeavor.
Also present in the ceremony were Sibu Divisional Agriculture officer Andrew Illing, officer-in-charge of Sibu District Agriculture Office Jenattan Sambang, and Tr Bungan Jaya.
