Sarawak Pepper R&D Complex To Be Completed Following New Allocation From MOF

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) --  The long-abandoned Pepper Research and Development (R&D) Complex project in Sarawak will be completed following the approval of a new allocation from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to resume construction works.

Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the project is currently almost 80 per cent complete but could not proceed after the previous contractor stopped work, causing the remaining construction to be delayed.

“Recently, I spoke with the chairman of the Malaysian Pepper Board. I told him that we need to complete this complex because it will become an important R&D centre for pepper development in Sarawak. We applied for a budget from the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and it has been approved to complete this complex. Once finished, it will serve as an R&D and management centre, and any issues related to pepper cultivation can be resolved there,” he added.

He said this in response to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Richard Riot anak Jaem (GPS–Serian) regarding the ministry’s efforts to support and assist pepper smallholders in Sarawak in restoring the former glory of the pepper cultivation industry, which has been declining.

He added that in any plantation sector, the most important thing is that every smallholder or large estate must practise good agricultural practices. “When these practices are adopted, they become standard operating procedures (SOPs) or disciplines that must be followed, and the construction of the complex is crucial for this purpose.”

-- BERNAMA