Department of Agriculture to be revamped starting Jan 1

THE Department of Agriculture (DOA) will undergo a re-organisation exercise with effect from Jan 1 next year.

According to Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, the revamp would enable the department to be in a better position to play a pivotal role in its quest to complement the state government’s aspiration to achieve Vision 2020.

“In preparation for the forthcoming 11th Malaysia Plan (2016 to 2020), I have continued to work very closely with senior members of my ministry and DOA together with the State Secretary in designing a very comprehensive revamping and restructuring plan aimed at giving an overall improvement to give effective delivery to the people by concentrating on four major components in line with DOA Sarawak’s vision — ‘A Transformed High Income Agriculture Community by 2020’,” he said when presenting his winding-up speech yesterday.

He said the four major components were field research to enable successful research finding to be immediately adopted by the farmers, increasing productivity by the farmers through good management and the use of biotechnological advancement and mechanisation, processing to get higher added values for the products, and marketing which would be intensified by the government so that farmers could get increased volume in sales to a wider market and enjoy better income.

“Basically the revamped Agriculture Structure Plan is aimed to strategically organise DOA 2,700 officers into three operational zones with a view to improve and accelerate our agriculture service deliveries to the rural communities.

The three zones are northern zone comprising Bintulu, Miri and Limbang divisions; central zone comprising Mukah, Sibu, Sarikei and Kapit divisions, and southern zone comprising Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman and Betong divisions complementing the ordinary function of the DOA headquarters in Kuching.

Another key feature of the new DOA involved the creation of 37 critical senior posts (Jawatan Berasaskan Caruman) to beef up and strengthen the new focus for research, production, processing and marketing at the three operational zones with the primary aim of increasing overall efficiency and capacity thus providing great opportunities for farmers, stock breeders and fishermen to earn better income.

He said the new DOA would serve as a catalyst for rural transformation through the setting up of 46 Rural Agriculture Project Stations (RAPS) throughout the state.

“In the past three years, I have also requested for 46 RAPS to be built by the government in coastal areas and in the many remote areas in rural Sarawak.

“Each of these RAPS will be manned by one senior staff in-charge, to be assisted by two agriculture assistants, and two home extensions female officers to provide home economic services for women folk in rural areas and two drivers.

He said each of these RAPS would have appropriate functional new office premises, comfortable accommodation and the necessary support logistics to enable it to be effective in serving the need of the state’s rural farming communities.

“Once completed, they will become important rural institutions and as major stepping stones for government officers and government agencies to serve the people in rural areas throughout Sarawak.”

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/12/17/department-of-agriculture-to-be-revamped-starting-jan-1-jabu/#ixzz3uX4n5HTF

Potensi madu kelulut

Sehingga kini kajian hanya menjurus kepada lebah madu dalam Genus Apis seperti Apis melifera dan Apis dorsata yang menyengat.

Manakala lebah tidak menyengat atau kelulut dalam genus Trigona memainkan peranan penting bagi proses pendebungaan ditinggalkan.

Sama seperti lebah madu, kelulut juga membentuk koloni sosial yang kompleks.

Kajian dijalankan di Institut Penyelidikan dan Kemajuan Pertanian Malaysia (MARDI) menunjukkan negara mempunyai kepelbagaian kelulut paling banyak berbanding negara Asia lain.

Pegawai Penyelidik, Pusat Penyelidikan Strategik, Mohd Fahimee Jaafar berkata, di Semenanjung Malaysia saja terdapat 29 spesies kelulut manakala jumlah spesies di Sabah dan Sarawak tidak dapat ditentukan.

"Di MARDI saja terdapat 15 spesies dan boleh dibahagikan kepada tiga iaitu besar, sederhana dan kecil," katanya.

Kajian Mohd. Fahimee banyak dibantu oleh Pembantu Penyelidik, Hamdan Sipon yang telah menjalankan kajian kelulut selama lebih 10 tahun.

Fahimee berkata, usaha pemuliharaan spesies kelulut di lapangan giat dijalankan di MARDI bagi tujuan penyelidikan dan pendidikan.

Kelulut biasanya terdapat di hutan dan bersarang pada batang kayu yang telah ditebang.

"Beberapa sarang direka di ladang di Serdang bertujuan memanipulasi koloni bagi pendebungaan beberapa spesies buah-buahan serta buah-buahan dengan bunga kecil dan penghasilan madu.

"Kepelbagaian kelulut boleh dilihat menerusi bentuk sarang," katanya.

Koloni kelulut di MARDI diletakkan di ladang durian, belimbing dan longan sebagai agen pendebungaan yang berjaya.

"Misalnya ladang durian yang mempunyai koloni kelulut menunjukkan peningkatan hasil dan sentiasa berbuah tidak mengira musim," katanya.

Lebih istimewa, lebah kelulut mudah mendebungakan bunga bersaiz kecil yang tidak boleh dilakukan lebah madu.

Bagi tujuan komersial, koloni kelulut diletakkan dalam kotak yang boleh memuatkan 1,000 hingga 2,000 ekor.

"Dalam masa sebulan hasil kelulut sudah boleh dituai dalam bentuk madu, debunga dan propolis dan pengambilan madu lebih mudah kerana kelulut tiada sengat," katanya.

Kelebihan kelulut adalah madunya boleh diambil setiap bulan apabila kotak sarang telah penuh dan madu berada di dalam kantung-kantung kecil.

Setakat ini madu kelulut belum lagi dikomersialkan kerana masih ramai tidak mengetahui kelebihan kelulut.

"Sama seperti lebah madu, kelulut juga menghasilkan madu dan propolis yang kaya dengan khasiat seperti antioksidan yang tinggi.

"Madu kelulut rasanya agak masam berbanding madu biasa dan warnanya lebih cerah," katanya.

Madu kelulut lebih mahal dibandingkan dengan madu lebah biasa kerana kurang di pasaran.

Produk propolis berwarna kehitaman dikumpulkan oleh kelulut pekerja iaitu resin pokok yang dicampurkan dengan air liur serta makanan seperti debunga dan bunga.

Bahan propolis digunakan untuk melapisi bahagian dalam sarang bagi mengekalkan keadaan steril kerana anak kelulut amat sensitif dengan virus, kulat dan serangga perosak.

Propolis boleh berfungsi sebagai antikulat, antifungus, antibakteria dan antiradang yang biasanya digunakan sebagai bahan aktif dalam kosmetik, krim dan tablet.

Kelulut mudah diuruskan kerana tidak seperti lebah madu yang sering hilang, tidak tinggal di sarang serta mudah diserang penyakit.

Justeru, kajian mendalam mengenai produk kelulut perlu dijalankan bagi membolehkannya dikomersialkan pada masa hadapan.

Artikel Penuh: http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0530&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Agrobiz&pg=ag_02.htm#ixzz3RooXItRL 
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Bumi buzz: Kelulut honey to be commercialised

KUCHING: There is great potential for the production of honey from stingless bees or kelulut to be commercialised.

The Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development Unit (Bedu) in the Chief Minister’s Department and Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) are now taking steps to promote the special honey.

A two-day course on stingless bee-rearing technology involving 60 participants was held at Kampung Senah Rayang, upper Padawan, following a similar event in Lundu on May 7-8.

“Here (in Sarawak) the rearing of stingless bees is still very new, but it has the potential to grow in view of the vast forest that we have…so the steps taken by

Bedu and Mardi are commendable as the demand for honey continues to increase,” said Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development) Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais yesterday.

Based on Mardi’s research, there are 35 species of stingless bees in Peninsular Malaysia, while more species can be found in Sarawak.

Naroden pointed out that Malaysia spent RM26.7 million on imported honey in 2008 and this increased to RM40.8 million in 2011 and RM50 million last year.

He said based on last year’s statistics, only 730 entrepreneurs nationwide are producing honey.

The Simunjan assemblyman said the stingless bee industry can become an important cottage industry for the people to earn extra income.

With a starting capital of between RM40,000 and RM50,000, Naroden said apiarists or honey farmers can earn between RM5,000 and RM30,000 a month with between 50 and 1,000 bee colonies.

Each colony can produce up to 2kg of honey a month, he said, adding that honey produced from stingless bees can fetch a price of RM120 per kg in Peninsular Malaysia.

He added that Kampung Senah Rayang could become a tourist attraction if it produced honey from stingless bees.

Meanwhile, Mardi state director Mohammad Noor Adros Yahya said the demand for honey from stingless bees is high resulting in strong prices of between RM60 and RM200 for 300 millilitres.

He said the honey is high in antioxidants and also believed to reduce cholesterol.

“Mardi Sarawak is committed to develop the rearing of stingless bees here (in the state),” he said, stressing that honey produced from the species is more nutritious compared to ordinary honey.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/11/bumi-buzz-kelulut-honey-to-be-commercialised/#ixzz3RonfWTPB

Dr Mahathir: Issue has nothing to do with ethnicity

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the call to boycott Chinese traders was unwarranted.

“I think that is a negative way of trying to solve the problem. Find out why costs have gone up,” he said as he affirmed that the issue had nothing to do with ethnicity.

“This is not about Chinese or Malay. This is about the prices of fuel falling and why the prices of goods have not.

“This involves all traders,” he said, adding that Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob might have spoken too hastily.

However, Dr Mahathir refused to be drawn to say whether Ismail Sabri’s call was racist.

“I cannot comment because there are some who also call me racist,” he quipped.

He said a factor causing high prices was the depreciating ringgit – resulting in Malaysians having to pay more for imported goods.

“So, we don’t get the pure benefit from the reduction of fuel prices,” he said at a FRIM event here yesterday.

Gerakan and DAP lodged police reports yesterday in relation to Ismail Sabri’s post, which they argue was racially-tinged.

Gerakan vice-president Datuk A. Kohilan Pillay said it was pointless to pit Malaysians against Malaysians on national issues.