Kenaf industry in Sabah to be expanded

KOTA KINABALU: Plans are in place to expand the potentially profitable kenaf industry in Sabah, says Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin.

He said this to Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan during a courtesy call here on Thursday (Sept 5).

Chan’s delegation had briefed Kitingan, who is also the state Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Industry Minister, on the potential of pepper, cocoa and kenaf development in Sabah.

Through the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board (LKTN), Chan said his ministry intended to expand the kenaf industry in Sabah through private-driven initiatives in partnership with cooperatives or companies, with funding allocated for 2024.

For the 2024 plan, he said, the LKTN has identified 125ha of land in Sabah, covering the districts of Beluran, Pitas, and Sook, with potential for kenaf cultivation.

“The ministry is confident that this industry will create new job opportunities for residents, while private sector investment can be effectively implemented to boost income,” he said.

Discussions during the meeting also focused on the collaboration between the Plantation and CommKenaf industry in Sabah to be expandedodities Ministry and the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) to advance the cultivation of pepper, cocoa, and kenaf.

Chan and SLDB’s chairman of the board of directors, Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin, had also discussed more efficient land use and exploring diverse economic activities through large-scale agricultural commodity cultivation programmes.