Chua to Ministry: listen to the plights of farmers

Tawau, March 8, 2011: Member of Parliament for Tawau, Datuk Chua Soon Bui told the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, Datuk Yahya Hussein and his department not to ignore but listen to the plights of the farmers who recently participated in the TKPM programmes.

 

When asked to comment on TKPM at Mile 15, Jalan Apas in response to a news report in The Borneo Post on 5/3/2011 which the Minister had told the farmers not to give excuses on the matter of being unable to obtain seeds, unfertile land and floods as irrigations and drainages are not available.

She said that the people of Tawau deserved to know the progress of the only Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) in Tawau on the 97.2 hectare Tawau agriculture department's land for food productions while other major towns have better prospects of the POIC etc.

Chua said as far as she knew , the allocation of RM 12 millions for TKPM was from federal fund and she was hopeful that the RM120,000/Hac would help Tawau to develop into a high value food production centre with some value added down stream activities.

"This also expose the local farmers to embark into a new high technology farming in Tawau.

"It was very disappointing to listen to some of the predicaments expressed by some of the farmers who took part in the integrated farming. Their problems are real which the Federal Ministry of agriculture should look into so that the farmers would be provided with information and techno-know-how to improve their skills in farming.

"The farmers have to resort to looking for seeds or seedlings of unknown clones and productivity, the low grade seedlings would gravely affect their productivity and low resistance to diseases. As most of the local farmers are still using the old conventional cultivation methods, it is very doubtful whether the project will reach its target projected goal.

"I am sympathetic to the few farmers who are in agony of the unfertile soil and prone to flood in some of the low lying areas. She urges the ministry of agriculture to step in as soon as possible to provide free new high productivity clones, high resistance to diseases seeds or seedlings, subsidized fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides, most importantly the expertize and techno-know how on the crops.

Chua said that as the world is embarking on organic farmers, that some farmers should be provided with expertize on organic planting of vegetables and fruits, may be hydroponic farming should also be introduced.

Since the present cultivation method at TKPM is too conventional, she said the Ministry of agriculture should rectify them so that Tawau is given the opportunity to emerge on high tech farming other it would defeat the purpose of the government spending RM 12 millions just liked any other conventional farming. Let it be a good role model for the state rather than just wasting the tax payers money and the effort of the zealous farmers.

"We should also embark on high values downstream products if we can produce high quality vegetables and fruits or possibly for export market in the future. If we are still trap in the old fashion mind-set, Tawau will be left out of the transformation programmes and can't achieve as a part of high income town," said Chua.