No plan by MARDI to set up research station in Bario

http://tribune.my/prime/4448-no-plan-by-mardi-to-set-up-research-station-in-bario.html

No plan by MARDI to set up research station in Bario

Thursday, 11 November 2010 15:41

THE Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) does not have any plan to set up a research station in Bario, said Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.

“Nevertheless, MARDI and Department of Agriculture (DOA) will collaborate to undertake appropriate research on selected highland crops,” said Jabu in response to Nelson Baling Rining (BN-Ba’ Kelalan) in his winding up speech at the DUN sitting yesterday.

Jabu told Balang, who had suggested for more than one crop of Bario rice per year, that Bario rice or Padi Adan was a traditional rice variety that matured in six months and was sensitive to changes in day length.

“Thus, it is not likely that we can grow Bario rice variety twice a year or five times in two years,” he said.

Responding to Frederick Bayo Manggie (BN-Kedup) on the ineffectiveness of the ‘penanaman berkelompok’ concept, Jabu said that one of the reasons why this approach was not implemented fully in certain areas was because many of rural farmers were dependent on subsidies to start the project.

“With limited budget given to the Agriculture Department for subsidies, it is unavoidable that some areas will have to wait longer for such projects to be implemented,” he said, adding that the real issue was not ineffectiveness of the concept but rather fund constraint, which could delay the implementation of such project in Kedup.

He also said that the Ministry would consider the request for an aquaculture project at Batang Ai hydro dam as suggested by Malcom Mussen Lamoh (BNBatang Ai).