KUCHING: The Sarawak Government will conduct a study to develop a dedicated brand for its popular gula apong (palm sugar) ice cream, with the aim of turning the local favourite into a potential export product.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the effort will be carried out through the Sago and Nipah Development Board, which is tasked with growing the nipah -based industry.
“We’ve set up the Sago and Nipah Board to lead the development of the nipah industry.
“People love gula apong ice cream now. If we know how to make it properly, we can export it. It tastes even better than strawberry or other flavours,” he said when officiating at Batang Saribas 1 Bridge today.
Abang Johari said the board will begin with a study to explore branding potential for the product, which has gained popularity among locals and tourists alike.
The initiative forms part of the state’s broader rural transformation agenda through agricultural innovation, local product branding, and value-added processing.
Earlier, Beting Maro Assemblyman, Razaili Gapor, said areas like Pusa and Beting Maro are well-positioned to support this vision, with existing agro-based activities including nipah cultivation and the state’s first gula apong Collection, Processing and Packaging Centre (CPPC).
He also said the area is seeing active development of pineapple plantations in Beladin and Pusa, coconut in Semarang, Sepinang and Batang Maro, and paddy farming in Muton Undai.
