Agang (second right) with Dr Fung (second left) and Lee (left) presenting organic fertiliser to one of the recipients in Beaufort
KOTA KINABALU: The plight of fruit farmers in Beaufort who had one of the worst fruit seasons this year caught the attention of STF Agriculture Sdn Bhd, a local company that runs modern integrated poultry farming.
On Wednesday, the company’s Manager, Dr Ronald Fung donated 56 tonnes of organic fertiliser as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to help ease the farmers’ burden and prepare them for the upcoming fruit season.
The donation was presented to representatives of fruit growers registered under the Rural Development Corporation (KPD) Contract Farming Programme.
The event was witnessed by Arlinsia Agang, the Political Secretary to the Agriculture and Fisheries Minister and KPD General Manager, Jamilah Lee.
“The ministry always welcomes any private sector initiative to assist farmers in increasing their production, particularly in promoting organic produce, so that we can position Sabah as one of the premium producers of sustainable and safe food in this region.
“I applaud STF Agriculture Sdn Bhd for their generosity today and I am confident the recipients will put these fertilisers to good use especially since these fertilisers are much more environmentally friendly than chemical fertilisers,” said Agang.
She expressed her hope that other companies in Sabah would take similar initiative to support the local agricultural industry.
Also present during the event were KPD Deputies General Manager, Andree Funk and Rosnih Othman as well as KPD Regional Manager (West Coast), Sintar Laus.