KUCHING: Sarawak’s agricultural sector is being further empowered through the adoption of data and digital technology as vital tools to enhance productivity and drive the state’s economic growth.
Chief Statistician of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Uzir Mahidin, said data and statistics are essential in advancing national agricultural development, supporting both food production and sustainable practices in Sarawak.
“Farmers themselves are now recognising the importance of using data to develop the agricultural sector.
“In the past, agriculture was seen as a sector disconnected from statistics or data.
“But now, farmers increasingly understand how crucial data is in improving their work,” he said during his welcoming remarks at the launch of the Agricultural Census Interim Report here today.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, officiated the event.
He further explained that the TaniStats, which is an Integrated Agricultural Statistics System, is in line with the government’s open data policy and facilitates the sharing of official data through government portals.
It is considered a game changer in how agricultural data is collected and integrated nationwide.
“To strengthen an inclusive and sustainable agricultural statistics ecosystem, we have launched the TaniStats portal.
“This initiative ensures the availability of accurate and up-to-date data, which is vital for improving the management of agricultural sector and ensuring the success of government programmes,” he said.
Uzir also emphasised that countries which successfully cultivate a data-driven culture would be able to move further ahead by optimising every dollar and cent spent for national development.
He expressed optimism that with these initiatives, Sarawak’s agricultural sector will make meaningful progress, not only in food production but also in the adoption of more efficient, data-driven, and competitive management approaches.
“Farmers today are fully aware of the importance of ensuring that their efforts deliver real, measurable impact,” he added.
