Kota Kinabalu: The 2026 Sabah Budget is hoped to further empower the agricultural sector through various strategic plans to ensure the stability of food supply and the State’s economic resilience.
Dr Daud Yusuf (Bongawan – Warisan) said agriculture is no longer a secondary sector and must, instead, be prioritised by the State Government in line with global needs.
He said Sabah has fertile land, manpower and market potential, yet still faces issues such as idle agricultural land, smallholders trapped in low-scale production and heavy dependence on imported food.
“All of this must be changed through strategic planning by positioning agriculture as a main economic sector, not merely a seasonal aid programme.
“This includes reactivating idle lands through coordination among state agencies and encouraging modern, technology-based commercial agriculture, rather than relying solely on traditional methods.
“Today’s agriculture is not just about planting and harvesting, but must be integrated with supply chains, processing, marketing and exports,” he said when debating the 2026 Sabah Budget.
Daud said the Budget must place agriculture at the forefront of development.
“The State Government should also use agriculture as one of the mechanisms to eradicate poverty, in line with the focus of the current budget.
“At the same time, he said the Budget should also focus on group-based agricultural programmes, including the involvement of youths in modern agriculture.
“The agricultural sector is linked to poverty eradication, especially in rural areas such as Bongawan, because many people are not poor due to laziness, but due to several factors.
“Among them are land that is not optimally cultivated due to lack of capital and market support and, most importantly, unstable prices of agricultural produce,” he said.
“The 2026 Budget should provide phased capital support, technical guidance, continuous monitoring and market guarantees through the involvement of relevant agencies and government-linked companies (GLCs).
“These measures would not only increase farmers’ incomes, but also transform the rural economic structure from aid recipients into contributors.”
