Kota Kinabalu: Sabah recorded the highest number of agricultural holdings in Malaysia, with a total of 159,259, continuing its position as one of the country’s top contributors to the agricultural sector.
Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan said of the total, the crop subsector accounted for the highest number of holdings at 140,018, followed by capture fisheries (14,903), livestock (2,242), aquaculture (2,164) and forestry and logging (162).
“The State contributes 17.4 per cent of the total crop subsector sales value, placing it among the top four states nationally.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Sabah is also ranked in the top three states for capture fisheries (13.8 per cent) and for forestry and logging (19.6 per cent),” he said during the launch of the Sabah State Interim Report of the 2024 Agriculture Census on Tuesday.
Jeffrey, who is also State Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry, added that the 2024 Agriculture Census data revealed that more than 70 per cent of the State’s agricultural holdings are operated by individuals aged 46 and above.
He said about 35 per cent of individual holders reported having no formal qualifications or certifications, offering a clear profile of the current farming community in Sabah.
“This report not only provides a comprehensive overview of the current agricultural landscape but also serves as a vital foundation in formulating impactful policies and strategies,” he said.
In 2023, Sabah recorded a total planted area of 1.782 million hectares, with the majority cultivated by agricultural organisations.
“This reflects the significant role of organisations and companies in shaping the State’s agricultural landscape, which is dominated by commodity crops, particularly oil palm.
“Of the total planted area, 1.574 million hectares or 88.3 per cent were harvested areas,” he said.
Chief Statistician of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, said in addition to conducting the Agriculture Census every 10 years to strengthen the national agricultural statistics system, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) will introduce a short-term agricultural survey in 2026 to ensure the data remains relevant and responsive to current trends.
“Following the 2024 Agriculture Census, DOSM has developed an integrated agriculture statistics system portal known as TaniStats,” he said.
According to the census report, Keningau recorded the highest number of individual agricultural holders in Sabah with 14,100, followed by Ranau (12,862) and Kota Marudu (12,627).
In terms of sales value, Kinabatangan topped the list with RM4.15 billion, followed by Tawau (RM3.93 billion) and Lahad Datu (RM3.50 billion).
