KOTA KINABALU: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry of Sabah plans to enhance the implementation of the Kitchen Garden Program as a new initiative aimed at bolstering food security for the population, particularly in rural areas.
The newly appointed Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the kitchen garden concept, which involves agricultural activities around homes such as growing vegetables, fruit crops, and small-scale livestock farming, can help reduce the cost of living for the people and enable them to become self-sufficient food producers.
He said that the program allows citizens to cultivate various types of crops for daily kitchen use while also planting high-potential crops like durian, avocado, and honey jackfruit as additional income sources.
“I would like to propose an idea, provided it does not contradict any government policies, that we could initiate the kitchen garden concept. This kitchen garden is for the people to cultivate around their homes, growing various plants that can yield produce for their own kitchens.
“Additionally, we will supply high-potential fruit crops. If we want to encourage more people to plant, I believe that one day we will become the largest producers of durian, avocado, or honey jackfruit in Sabah.
“This can be achieved by establishing collection centers from the gardens produced by the kitchen gardens,” he said when met after his ‘Clock In’ session at his office here on Wednesday.
Jamawi noted that the kitchen garden idea was inspired by a visit to Thailand, which successfully implemented a small-scale community-based agricultural concept to enhance the economy of its citizens.
He suggested that the seedling centers of the Department of Agriculture, the seedling centers of the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS), and other seedling centers be strengthened to produce quality seeds at lower prices for distribution to the public.
Source – Sabah Media
