KOTA KINABALU: The state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry (MAFFI) has been to place people from the hardcore as priority in its future action plans and programmes.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said such a measure would be part of the initiatives to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah.
"According to eKasih data, Sabah's hardcore poor household heads has dropped to 8,699 as of May 18 this year. I hope more initiatives under MAFFI will involve them.
"We want to make sure they are lifted out of poverty," he said in a statement after his working visit to the ministry at Wisma Pertanian near here.
Based on the briefing by four departments and four agencies under MAFFI, Hajiji said plans are in place to propel Sabah's agriculture, fishery and food industries forward.
He added the recently approved Sabah Padi and Rice Board (LPBS) must get underway as soon as possible in order to boost Sabah's food self-sufficiency level (SSL).
The Chief Minister also wants government-linked companies owning unutilised lands to be developed for agriculture, particularly padi as mandated by the State Cabinet.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister cum MAFFI minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan disclosed that with the setting up of the LPBS, the goal had been set to enhance Sabah's SSL to 65 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035.
Dr Jeffrey said his ministry is in the process of appointing 15 board members including a chairman for the LPBS.
LPBS's focus will be on boosting padi yields from the average of 2.9 metric to seven metric tonnes per hectare by 2030, developing abandoned padi fields to increase acreage and opening up new padi fields through partnership with state GLCs and private investments, he said.
He added, LPBS's purview will include issuance of export and import licenses and permits as well as packaging and sales of padi and rice in Sabah.