Kota Kinabalu: Idle grazing reserve land in Sabah will be revitalised with planting of coconut and various agricultural activities that can improve the economy of rural folks.
Deputy Chief Minister I who is also the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan said this aligns with the State Cabinet’s decision to allow grazing reserve lands to be used for agricultural activities.
However, the use of these reserve lands is subject to the approval of the trustees of the grazing reserves.
“Coconut plantations in five village areas in Tambunan will serve as a pilot project in collaboration with Malaysia Kuwait Investment Co (MKIC).
“Tambunan was chosen as the first location because the district has 23,490.56 acres of grazing reserve land, of which are neglected and idle.
“We want to see these neglected grazing lands become productive. Hence, we want the people of Tambunan to learn from MKIC on how to manage coconut plantations.
“If you look at the company, it is involved in the largest coconut plantations, not only in Sabah but also in Borneo. Therefore, we hope the coconut industry will become another potential industry to be developed in this state,” Dr Jeffrey said, at the signing ceremony between the Grazing Reserve Trustees, Koperasi Pembangunan Ekonomi Rakyat Tambunan Berhad (Kopper), Assistant Land Revenue Collector (PPHT), and MKIC, at the Sabah International Convention Center (SICC) on Monday.
Dr Jeffrey, who is also the Tambunan Assemblyman, said he would look into the possibility of expanding such coconut cultivation projects to other districts so that coconut production could be increased, which in turn would create job opportunities.
He said it is time to develop the idle grazing lands because, in the past, they were used as areas for buffaloes to graze and wallow.
Now, with fewer buffaloes, he said the abandoned or idle grazing lands could be developed for agricultural purposes.
Representatives of five Tambunan villages that signed the agreement to implement the coconut plantation project are in Kg Tondulu, Kg Papar, Kg Noudu, Kg Toboh and Kg Kuala Namadan.
“I am impressed with the unity of the people from these five villages and hope that other villages in Tambunan will follow their example by coming together to develop the idle grazing lands.
“I also welcome the involvement of investors like MKIC, that was willing to explore the potential prospects of coconut plantations on the grazing reserve lands in Tambunan,” he said.
Dr Jeffrey said the successful implementation of this initiative would serve as a model for other districts as it is one of the opportunities to transform “lazy assets” into economic resources.
He added that with the establishment of Kopper Tambunan, he hoped all residents of Tambunan would benefit from the district’s economic development in the future.
