Plantations & Agriculture

As Sarawak’s largest employer, providing a livelihood for about one quarter of the population, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector stands as one of the state’s key engines, even with the gains in economic diversification made in recent years. Sarawak also plays a central role in Malaysia’s agriculture sector as a whole, producing foodstuffs for local consumption and cash crops to export. Industrialisation within the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy will provide greater demand for agricultural inputs as downstream food processing activity expands. Raw timber exports and the rapid expansion of plantations, particularly of oil palm, are likely to slow over the next decade due to stricter government regulation and enforcement, although downstream industries fed by sustainable timber plantations should continue to thrive. Strong global demand, together with ongoing efforts to modernise and mechanise processing of food crops such as rice, fresh produce and spices, should also contribute to sustained growth in these sectors.

This chapter contains a viewpoint from Dr James Jemut Masing, Minister of Land Development; and an interview with Grunsin Ayom, Director-General, Malaysian Pepper Board.

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