The first phase of the modern pig farm at Ensengei in Serian is producing 700 to 800 pigs for market a month, while a separate RM200 million farming area in Selangau is expected to begin production in 2027. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom gave the update at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Oct 20. The distinction matters for Sarawak’s supply outlook: Serian has existing output, whereas Selangau’s production and full completion remain future milestones. The privately operated Ensengei development covers 202 hectares and carries an investment value of RM385 million. Its first phase was completed in 2025. The wider project plans a closed-house system and a modern abattoir, with capacity for 80,000 pigs by 2030. Selangau’s separate 233-hectare development targets full completion in 2028. Rundi reported RM158.75 million in export earnings from 109,606 live pigs in 2026. He also described shipments of about 2,500 pigs a week from Pasir Puteh to Singapore and an additional 500 a week to Selangor since 2025. These export figures do not establish a retail price or guarantee cheaper pork for Kuching households. The useful supply indicators are actual farm output and whether the next production phases start on schedule.

Only 11 per cent of the 9,900 hectares in Sarawak’s existing paddy schemes is being cultivated, according to an Oct 20 ministerial update that puts infrastructure rehabilitation needs at RM2.5 billion. That figure is the stated repair requirement, not the amount of new funding approved. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom told the State Legislative Assembly that 23 infrastructure projects covering about 2,997 hectares have been approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan for RM136.9 million. Sarawak is financing 21 projects worth RM122.9 million, with RM14 million from the federal government for two others. The existing schemes are managed by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage. Rundi said deteriorating infrastructure limits their use and that annual maintenance needs amount to RM60 million. Restoring cultivated land is part of the effort to reach 60 per cent rice self-sufficiency by 2030; the target is not the present level of supply. Separately, 10 large-scale paddy projects covering 3,460 hectares are at different implementation stages, with phased completion expected from 2027. Infrastructure at Tanjung Purun and Lubok Punggor is expected to finish in 2027 before planting can proceed. For Sarawak consumers, those dates describe future production capacity, not rice already reaching the market.

Two farming developments at Rampangi in Kuching are working to different timetables: a precision farming park is expected to finish in November, while a RM3 million technology upgrade at the Permanent Food Production Park targets the third quarter of 2027. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom gave the update at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Oct 20. The 1.7-hectare Rampangi Precision Farming Park has reached 68 per cent physical progress, with planting scheduled for December. Those are upcoming milestones, not a report that crops are already being produced there. The separate TKPM upgrade will introduce real-time monitoring, automated fertigation and AI-enabled analysis. For the Kuching food-production sector, the distinction is practical: the nearer-term planting schedule belongs to the precision park, not the later smart-technology package. Two other precision parks, at Sungai Sebiew in Bintulu and Kabuloh in Miri, stood at 47 per cent and 62 per cent respectively as of September. Both are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027. Their planned facilities include greenhouses, internal roads, fertigation and Internet of Things technology.

A cocoa-processing initiative in Kota Samarahan is exploring how Sarawak growers can move beyond selling dried beans to producing chocolate with a distinct local identity. The Malaysian Cocoa Board is processing beans from four locations at a cluster cooperative research centre in Kota Samarahan using a single-origin approach. Bernama reported the board’s account of the work on Oct 17. The remarks were made at the launch of A Malaysian Cocoa Affair 2026 in Melaka. The board said it could bring processing technology to interested farmers and entrepreneurs, with differences in growing areas and processing methods providing scope for different flavours and aromas. The downstream work is separate from the board’s proposal to expand cocoa cultivation in Sarawak. New trees would first need to bear fruit, with additional local supplies envisaged over the next two to three years rather than immediately. For growers, that separates two different opportunities: adding value to beans through processing, and the longer wait involved in expanding production.

Sarawak’s contribution to a new African swine fever research partnership will centre on virus data and local veterinary experience, rather than an announced farm treatment or finished vaccine. The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) said on October 8 that it is joining a £3.4 million project led by the University of Sheffield. The partnership also includes the University of Liverpool and Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, with SIDC working alongside Sarawak’s Veterinary Services Department. The researchers aim to understand the virus’s genetic diversity, evolution and spread. Whole-genome sequencing is intended to help build SIDC’s role as a regional genomic reference centre and produce evidence useful to farmers and veterinary authorities. UK Research and Innovation’s October 7 funding announcement independently lists the Sheffield-led African swine fever project among 18 new research and innovation projects. The £3.4 million figure is the partnership’s reported project grant, not an allocation confirmed wholly for SIDC. For Sarawak’s pig-farming sector, the local link is participation in generating and interpreting evidence about the virus. The announcement sets out research goals; it does not establish that a new vaccine, treatment or control service is ready for farmers to use.

Protecting the Sarawak Pepper name and its geographical indication remains a priority as Malaysian pepper products compete in markets that demand traceability, food safety and consistent quality. The Malaysian Pepper Board said the work includes laboratory testing, certification, grading and enforcement. Japan remains Malaysia’s main pepper export destination, making its import requirements an important benchmark for growers and processors. The board is also pushing beyond raw pepper. It has guided 77 micro, small and medium enterprises producing 220 pepper-based retail products; 11 have reached Level 4 of its entrepreneurship rating programme and entered international markets, while 42 received financing to expand. The downstream products now include food and drinks, personal-care items, extracts and essential oils. The board said their combined annual sales value was estimated at RM20 million. For Sarawak’s pepper sector, the message is practical: the GI label only carries value if the product’s origin, quality and safety can be consistently demonstrated from farm to export shelf.

Bukit Saban is being lined up as a modern agriculture hub through a CPPC, Bebuling Agropark and Bebuling Airport. [image: 1785114385186-bukit_saban_agri-resized.jpg] Image source: The Borneo Post Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the plan is meant to build a full agriculture value chain, from production to processing, packaging and marketing. He said the projects could help farmers and smallholders raise their income by linking farm output with better facilities and market access. What is planned The proposed Collection, Processing and Packaging Centre (CPPC), Bebuling Agropark and Bebuling Airport are being planned under allocations from the Betong Division Development Agency (BDDA). Uggah said the state government will also continue supporting rural livelihoods through agriculture and entrepreneurship programmes, including fertiliser aid, pepper and oil palm cultivation, and free-range livestock projects. He also urged parents to support their children in pursuing higher education, saying skilled young people will be needed for Sarawak's future development. Location: Bukit Saban, Betong Division Details: Modern agriculture hub plan; CPPC, Bebuling Agropark and Bebuling Airport; focus on farmers, smallholders and rural income. Source: The Borneo Post What do you think?