Kota Kinabalu: Sabah must intensify the downstream processing of its agricultural commodities instead of relying mainly on raw exports if the state is to generate higher incomes, strengthen food security and create more jobs.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said developing high-value-added downstream products must become a key direction for Sabah’s agro-food sector.
He said the shift would help maximise the value of the agricultural supply chain while improving returns for farmers, growers, smallholders and fishermen.
“We need to transform from a state that depends solely on the export of raw agricultural commodities into a producer and exporter of high-value finished products processed from locally produced agricultural commodities,” he said.
Hajiji said the launch of the Lumi Borneo Latex Pillow demonstrated Sabah’s capacity to turn local resources into finished products with greater economic value.
His speech was delivered by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar at the product launch here on Saturday.
The pillow is the first product of its kind in Sabah to be made using locally sourced latex, marking a milestone in the state’s rubber industry.
Hajiji said the initiative also showed that the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) could leverage its expertise to optimise the state’s natural resources rather than stopping at the production of raw materials.
He said stronger downstream activities would generate employment in areas including production, packaging, logistics, marketing and quality control, while opening up opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Hajiji urged LIGS to broaden its product range, including by exploring latex mattresses and rubber footwear.
“Do not stop at pillows. Step up efforts to diversify the production of high-quality rubber-based products,” he said.
He said the state government would continue supporting Sabah’s rubber industry and other sectors to expand while delivering better returns to smallholders.
The Lumi Borneo Latex Pillow was developed by the LIGS team using its own expertise and was not produced by a private company, he said.
He said this should give rubber smallholders confidence that the latex they produce could be transformed locally into finished products with greater economic value.
