Kota Kinabalu: Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said Jamu Haus Borneo aligns with the ministry’s efforts to promote healthier lifestyles while creating new income opportunities through home-based agriculture.
He said many of the herbs used in traditional jamu are easily cultivated around homes, making them suitable for the ministry’s Kebun Dapur Initiative, which encourages households to grow their own food and medicinal plants. This also fit will with the government’s push towards healthier lifestyles and greater food security.
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“Many of the herbs used in jamu can be planted around our homes. This supports our efforts to diversify home-based agricultural activities while encouraging healthier living,” he said.
Jamawi said the Ministry also intends to work with Zaklean to empower rural communities, particularly women, by equipping them with skills to process medicinal plants into marketable products.
“We will work with Zaklean to organise training on processing medicinal plants grown around the home so rural women can gain these skills to generate additional household income through value-added agricultural products,” he explained.
He noted that although traditional herbal remedies were once regarded by some as outdated, consumer preferences are changing as more people return to natural wellness products.
“There is now a growing movement of people returning to traditional herbal medicine. This creates significant opportunities for the development of herbal products and the traditional medicine industry,” he said while also praising the collaboration between Zaklean and Indonesian herbal experts, describing it as an important platform for knowledge transfer and regional cooperation.
Present at the event were Datin Zainatunnisa Ibrahim, Republic of Indonesia Consul General in Kota Kinabalu Noorman Effendi, Minister Counceller and Economic Affairs Consul, Consulate General Yogo Pamungkas, Deputy General Manager (Strategic Planning) Sabah Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) and Sedcovest Holdings Sdn Bhd board member Suhaimi Untong as well as Sedcovest Holdings Sdn Bhd Yahyah Sidek.
