KENINGAU: The Sabah government has earmarked 3,237ha of land between Tenom and Sipitang for an avocado plantation on a commercial scale.
Chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said such initiative was one of many ventures to promote the state's economic growth.
"We are exploring as many development projects as possible, which will be catalysts for our economic growth.
"The state government sees Keningau as the interior development hub due to its vast potential for agricultural expansion," he said in a statement on his working visit in the district today.
Hajiji, who is also state Finance Minister, said the state government had approved RM3 million allocation for the upgrading of the Holy Family Church Nulu Sosopon here.
He also handed over the Bantuan Prihatin Sabah (BSP) 3.0 under the State Rural Development Ministry's allocation at the Keningau Hall in the District Council.
On the food baskets and one-off cash assistance, Hajiji said 84.25 per cent or RM88,815,600 of the RM120,469,481 allocated under the BSP 3.0 announced on Jun 9 has been disbursed.
Earlier, at the vaccination centre (PPV) at the Keningau Sports Complex here, Hajiji said Sabah was on course to achieve its goal of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of the population by October.
He said the opening of the state's first integrated mega centre starting tomorrow at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) at the State Capital would further boost the state's vaccination rate.
"Together with the existing Public-Private Cooperation Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) for industrial workers, the integrated mega PPV Involving two private Health Care organisations is expected to ramp up vaccination from 1,500 up to 10,000 daily."