Sarawak wants to be self-sufficient in rice

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/189368

Posted on 27 October 2011 - 01:03am

Sulok Tawie
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUCHING (Oct 26, 2011): Sarawak, with its vast land suitable for large scale padi cultivation, wants to be self-sufficient in rice.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang said striving towards self-sufficiency is for security reasons.

"The unpredictable weather pattern caused by global warming which disrupts rice production in major rice-producing countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand makes it crucial for us to strive for rice self-sufficiency," he said at the rice conference here today.

Jabu, who is also State Minister of Modernisation of Agrilculture, said the state needed to produce at least 65% of its rice consumption to reach the level of self-sufficiency.

Curently, Sarawak produces less than 50% of its rice needs while the shortfalls come from rice imported from Vietnam , Thailand and India.

Jabu said there were more than 100 varieties of rice grown and sold in the state, the most being the Bario, Biris, Bajong, Bali, Mamut, Selasih, Katek Merah, Lemak and Kenawit.

He said Bario rice, Sarawak Beras Bajong and Sarawak Beras Biris had been granted the Geographical Indications (GI) by the Malaysian Intellectual Property Organisation (MyIPO).

Bario rice is a unique fine grain rice with smooth glossy texture grown in the cool mountains of the Kelabit highlands while Beras Biris, a fragrant rice with a smooth and glossy texture is cultivated in Simunjan and Samarahan areas and Beras Bajong, an aromatic purple rice with distinctive taste and texture, is mainly planted by traditional paddy farmers in Lubok Nibong, Saratok.

The GI protection will provide entrepreneurs and consumers the assurance of authenticity and consistent product quality.

Jabu urged the various relevant agencies to get at least three more rice varieties to obtain the GI within the next three years.

Emphasis must also be given to the growing of premium rice, govt told

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/27/emphasis-must-also-be-given-to-the-growing-of-premium-rice-govt-told/

Posted on October 27, 2011, Thursday

KUCHING: The government not only wants the state to be self-sufficient in rice as part of its food security strategy, but also to ensure that that specialty rice is sold at a premium to help the growers.

Ministry of Agriculture administrative officer (for special assignment) Paul Ritom told The Borneo Post that they had identified three local rice varieties that could be sold as premium products as they were comparable to foreign rice grains.

“Farmers who grow these varieties will have commercial products that can raise their incomes but the state must organise the paddy farmers professionally so that they can plant and sell them themselves,” he said when met at Sarawak Rice Conference.

Ritom explained that with the technology, the state should also encourage poor farmers to plant high quality traditional varieties, not only for local consumption but for niche overseas market too.

“The government will then have less concern that there is not enough to eat but will also be happy to see that farmers have good disposable income,” he added.

Ritom was optimistic of the viability of these projects if the government started the ball rolling for the private sector to be involved in the economic venture.

He revealed that the three varieties that were accepted in the foreign market and recognised as high value rice were ‘Bario’, ‘Bajong’ and ‘Biris’ rice.

Ritom elaborated that under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA), the federal government had already approved 200 hectares of land in the state to be planted with ‘bario’ rice because of the good price it fetched in the local market, which was up to RM12 per kilogramme.

On ‘Bajong’ rice, he said the variety was also much sought after, for which the government must come up with plans to help the growers increase their production.

Ritom also wanted more promotion to be done for ‘Biris’ rice as it could compete with Jasmine rice from Thailand.

Petronas holds education camp at SK Bario

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/27/petronas-holds-education-camp-at-sk-bario/

Posted on October 27, 2011, Thursday

MIRI: Some 80 SK Bario pupils attended the Petronas Science Educamp programme at the school from Oct 21-24.

Pupils from Primary 4 to 6 took part in experiential learning activities with emphasis on Science, Mathematics and English.

“We would like to thank Petronas for bringing a new fun learning experience to the pupils and teachers in Bario,” SK Bario headmistress Dora Tigan said during the closing ceremony.

Spearheaded by Petronas Sarawak Regional Office, Miri in collaboration with wholly-owned subsidiary Petrosains, the programme targets pupils in remote areas.

Corporate affairs senior executive Suffian Sabeli said the main objectives of the programme included exposing pupils to varying concepts of science and technology, as well as igniting an interest in science and technology careers.

It is also designed to assist teachers to think out of the box by seeking alternative teaching resources. In December, another programme will be held at SK Ba Kelalan, Lawas.

Similar programmes were carried out at SK Long Bedian and SK Long Bemang in Miri Division; SK Long Tuma, SK Long Luping and SK Long Napir, Limbang Division; SK Batu 36 in Sibu Division; and SK Dua Sungai, Mukah Division.

SIB’s Kelabit, Saban and Berawan Ministry to hold two-day annual rally in Miri

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/22/sib%E2%80%99s-kelabit-saban-and-berawan-ministry-to-hold-two-day-annual-rally-in/

Posted on October 22, 2011, Saturday

MIRI: The Kelabit, Saban and Berawan Ministry (PKSB) of the Borneo Evangelical Church (SIB) will hold its annual rally on Oct 28 and 29.

The two-day event themed ‘Empowered By The Holy Spirit’ will be held in Miri SIB’s main building at the Canada Hill commencing 7.30pm nightly.

Organising chairman Stewart Paran said all are welcome to the event which will be conducted in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

Dr Philip Lyn is the guest speaker on the first night and Rev. Solomon Bulan of Sarawak SIB will speak on the following night.

Dr Lyn, an international speaker, is the senior pastor of SIB Skyline, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. He is a medical doctor trained at Oxford and took biblical studies in Canada.

The Skyline SIB Church is missional in culture and coaches marketplace leaders to live out Christian principles for community transformation.

Married to Nancy, the couple has three wonderful children, one of whom is Sarah Lyn – a miracle child who was raised from the dead.

Rev. Solomon, meanwhile, is the senior pastor of SIB Krokop (KEC) and was a trained high school teacher and a Teacher Training College lecturer before he left to be a full-time pastor.

He pursued his theological training in New Zealand Bible College from 1993 to 1996 and at Seminary Teologi Malaysia in Seremban in 2003.

Rev. Solomon was the teacher-in-charge of the Christian fellowship at Bario Secondary School in 1973 when revival broke out and impacted and transformed the spiritual landscape of the SIB Church in Sabah and Sarawak.

He co-authored the book, ‘The Bario Revival’. Since then, he has been actively involved in evangelistic works in the villages, schools and universities in Sarawak.

The Reverend has wide ministry experience and involvement in mission work and church planting.

“His experience as a teacher and trainer at seminars, as speaker and preacher at church conferences brought him to Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and Nigeria,” Stewart said.

Rev. Solomon is also a member of the Central Council (MMU) of Sarawak SIB and was its former deputy president.

New Radio Bario hits the airwaves at 94.5 MHz FM

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/15/new-radio-bario-hits-the-airwaves-at-94-5-mhz-fm/

Posted on October 15, 2011, Saturday

BARIO: The Kelabit community of Bario became better connected on Thursday when their brand new radio station hit the airwaves. Radio Bario is Malaysia’s first community-run radio station, and the Kelabit community never had their own broadcast media, until now.

Representing a milestone in Malaysia’s broadcasting and media development, Radio Bario is a project by eBario Sdn Bhd, the organisation which operates the eBario telecentre, with funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — under their Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility.

It is operated ‘by and for the community’ and has a limited radius of between 20-30 kilometres from the station, serving the scattered longhouses and farms.

The creation of Radio Bario is highly significant. Not only will the station broadcast in the Kelabit language, but for the first time listeners will hear news, interviews, stories and music with direct relevance to their culture and history.

Radio Bario has also been successful in mobilising the local community to make the station their own.

The people of Bario undertake every role, from on-air presentation to collecting local news and encouraging the participation of the whole community.

It is the product of four years of planning by eBario Sdn Bhd, which collaborated with RadioActive Ltd. RadioActive is a UK-based company with a strong track record in installing community radio stations.

They provide equipment, training and technical assistance to help build community radio stations around the world, having previously worked in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Community radio is a not-for-profit low-cost limited reach broadcasting facility providing a variety of information and entertainment services to the residents of a restricted geographical area.

Normally operated by volunteer programme producers drawn from within the community itself, its function is to supplement mainstream broadcasting with local news, entertainment and cultural programming, mostly in the local language.

John Tarawe of eBario expects that the success of the Radio Bario launch would lead to the launch of other community stations in Malaysia. He said in a press release, “our work with eBario has demonstrated a successful track record with community mobilisation. Radio is one of the best examples of that.”

RadioActive director Max Graef says; “Radio Bario is our 50th project. Each one is unique, but Bario has been a memorable experience because of the warmth and commitment of the local community.

“After just a few training sessions we’re already hearing some great results on air. Community radio can have a great impact, especially considering the low costs involved in getting a station started. We hope to see many other communities in Malaysia benefiting from this technology in the near future.”

As national radio does not reach many of the isolated and remote rural parts of Sarawak, and with its assortment of mother-tongue languages, community radio opens up a new channel of communication for the State’s underserved communities.

Moreover, it provides opportunities for conducting public debates on issues of local interest.

With the widespread use of hand phones these days, listeners can participate in phone-ins from wherever they happen to be.

Useful information can now be easily spread throughout isolated communities in a faster, more timely and economical manner than ever before.

Stanley Isaac, the station manager, is one person who’d endorse this view. A former schoolteacher, Stanley presented Radio Bario’s very first live programme in his native Kelabit.

“For three years it was a dream. Now people are blinking their eyes and saying “Is it true?” he enthused.

Ex-Pemanca Ngimat Ayu added: “This is a very important thing because the indigenous communities don’t hear themselves in the mainstream media and now we feel connected. This will help to conserve and preserve our language and our identity.”

Given the positive experience of Radio Bario’s launch, eBario and RadioActive have formed a joint venture to install more radio stations in Malaysia.

At a recent dialogue in Miri, several representatives of other indigenous groups in Sarawak expressed their interest in establishing their own community radio stations.

Anyone interested to do so can contact John Tarawe on 0194381777 or by email at john.tarawe@gmail.com.