KUALA PENYU: Entrepreneurial Development and Cooperatives Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick, has called on the people in the State, especially the Kadazandusuns who have vast land resources, to utilise their idle lands for agriculture.
He said the government, through his Ministry, provides various financing facilities and assistance to entrepreneurs or cooperatives interested in expanding their business or ventures in the food sector.
“The Ministry, through the agencies under it, provides various suitable schemes and assistance.
For example, under the Malaysian Cooperative Commission, Revolving Capital Fund Financing of up to RM100,000 is provided to cooperatives involved in the agro-food sector such as agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.
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He said this when met by reporters after officiating the Kaamatan Festival celebration organised by Upko at the Dato’ Shahbandar Makang Community Hall, here, last Sunday.
In this regard, Ewon hoped that the people of Sabah would seize the opportunities and participate in the entrepreneurship and cooperative movement, so that Kaamatan is not just a cultural celebration but also a message of promoting entrepreneurship and cooperatives.
“The food security crisis should be a wake-up call for all of us, and it should be developed as an opportunity in entrepreneurship,” he said.
He said this is also in line with the theme of this year’s Kaamatan Festival celebration, “Kaamatan Melangkau Keterjaminan Makanan” (Kaamatan Transcending Food Security) through the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
“The message we want to instil in the community in conjunction with the Kaamatan Festival celebration is that Sabah is rich in natural resources, and we should rightfully develop these natural resources such as land for agricultural crops or livestock farming.
“This is because Malaysia still relies on food imports. We should fully utilise the resources available in our country to reduce our dependence on imported food supplies.
“That is why I support the message of this year’s Kaamatan Festival theme, so that the people, especially the Kadazandusun community with land, can develop their lands either individually or through cooperatives,” he said.
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