Kota Kinabalu: Small traders and hawkers in Sabah have been urged to shift from being merely sellers to producing their own raw materials to strengthen business resilience against global supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) academic and Sabah Federation of Hawkers and Small Traders Associations (G3PNS) vice president Assoc Prof Dr Jakaria Dasan (pic) said producing raw materials enables traders to control input costs and cushion against price increases and shortages.
Speaking after delivering a lecture at the Sabah Agriculture Department annual meeting recently, he noted that the move aligns with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry (Maffi)'s efforts to empower the Kitchen Garden (Kebun Dapur) initiative.
He said the concept could evolve from meeting domestic household needs into economically oriented micro-production or communal farming to supply inputs directly for food processing, stalls, catering services, and restaurants.
Jakaria added that G3PNS should serve as a strategic bridge, linking small traders to technical support and modern cultivation training from the Sabah Agriculture Department to build sustainable supply chains.