Tenom: Tenom has the potential to become an agricultural industry hub for Sabah’s interior by expanding the processing of local commodities into higher-value downstream products.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the proposal was part of his ministry’s plan to establish agriculture-based industrial zones in the interior, in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) agenda.
He said Tenom had a strong foundation to be developed as an interior agricultural industry hub, given its key commodities such as avocado, coffee and rubber, which have potential for downstream development.
“Tenom has a strong foundation to be developed as an agricultural industry hub because the district has key commodities such as avocado, coffee and rubber that can be further developed through downstream industries.
“Downstream industries are also being planned in other interior districts based on their respective commodity strengths, including Keningau as a hub for dairy and beef processing and Tambunan for ginger-based industries,” he said.
Jamawi said the aim was to ensure that the interior had a complete agricultural industry chain, from commodity production to the processing of downstream products.
“When commodities are processed into value-added products, their prices and returns to farmers can also be increased,” he said.
He noted that the West Coast already had industrial areas such as Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) and Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT), while the East Coast had the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC).
“Therefore, we are proposing that the interior be developed as agricultural industrial zones based on the strengths of the agricultural products produced in each area,” he said.
Jamawi was speaking to the media while attending the stopover by the Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang (KMJG) 2026 convoy at the Agricultural Basic Industry Training Unit (IAT), Tenom Agriculture Office.
Jamawi, who is also Melalap Assemblyman, said the State Government had already taken steps in this direction through the development of an avocado processing plant in Kampung Bunut at a cost of about RM2 million.
He said Grade A and B avocados could be marketed or exported, while fruits that did not meet the required specifications could be processed into downstream products.
“This way, we not only reduce wastage but also increase the value of the commodity and farmers’ income,” he said.
The processing facility also highlights the potential of avocado as a source of value-added food products, including avocado-based noodles.
During the KMJG stopover, participants had the opportunity to observe how avocado-based noodles were produced and taste the product.
Sabah Information Department Director Jainisah Mohd Noor, who was present, said this year’s KMJG was slightly different as it placed greater emphasis on community-based activities.
She said the approach enabled participants not only to spread the message of patriotism but also to engage with local communities and learn about the uniqueness and economic potential of each stopover location.
“Today, we are together with the local community and were given the opportunity to learn how avocados can be turned into other products. Today, we learnt how to make noodles from avocados,” she said.
KM Banggi Implementation Officer, Sabah Maritime, Lt Cdr (M) Musli Jaffar said the stopover in Tenom provided KMJG participants with a new experience as they were able to learn more about the district’s diverse resources.
“Besides fostering the spirit of independence, we were able to see how avocado-based products are made. This is new knowledge for us.
“It turns out that Tenom has many resources that we were previously unaware of, and stopovers like this give us an opportunity to discover them more closely,” he said.
Another participant, Socso Keningau Executive Officer Ahmad Zairun Sulaiman, said his participation in KMJG also gave him an opportunity to learn more about avocados while flying the Jalur Gemilang throughout the journey in Tenom.
“I only learnt that avocados can actually be made into noodles. The noodles are also delicious. So, we feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to gain this experience,” he said.
He said the experience made participation in KMJG more meaningful as participants not only helped foster the spirit of independence but also gained knowledge and discovered the potential of local products in the districts they visited.
Now on its sixth day in Sabah, the KMJG serves as a platform for engaging with communities while encouraging the public to fly the Jalur Gemilang in conjunction with National Month celebrations.
After Tenom, the KMJG convoy will continue to Keningau before proceeding to Nabawan as the next stop in its tour of the interior.
