Sabah prioritises agriculture as key driver of economic growth
Published on: Sun, Aug 03, 2025 Text Size: Anwar and Hajiji with others visit one of the booths. - Pic by CMD KOTA KINABALU: The State Government remains committed to strengthening Sabah's agriculture sector as a key engine of growth and food security. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said agriculture contributed RM12.2 billion or 14.5 per cent to Sabah's GDP, making it the third largest sector in the state economy. He said this during the closing ceremony of the National Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day (HPPNK) 2025 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Sunday, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. To boost food resilience, Hajiji said Sabah had revived the Sabah Rice and Padi Board last year with the aim of raising rice self-sufficiency to 30 per cent by 2026 and 60 per cent by 2030. He highlighted the role of technology such as the Internet of Things and smart farming in modernising agriculture and attracting younger generations to the sector. So far, Sabah's 15 Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) have produced over 1,494 metric tonnes of food, generating more than RM4.32 million in returns. Sabah is also developing a RM360 million tuna and deep-sea fish landing port in Kota Kinabalu, expected to land 50,000 tonnes of tuna annually and support an estimated RM1.8 billion in economic value each year. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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