KUCHING: The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Research (MESTR) through the Sarawak Research Council (SRC) is inviting research agencies  like universities, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre to collaborate with the council.

Its minister Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said collaboration between the government and private sector is important to transform the agriculture sector in Sarawak.

“I believe as of now, all the agencies are doing their own research and there is no main one to coordinate and collaborate these research agencies,” said Manyin when speaking at the launching of the first International Scientific Conference on Indigenious Crops 2018 (ISCIC2018) which was attended by 200 international and local participants at one of the leading hotels here, this morning.

The theme of the conference, Potential Indigenious Plants for Commercialisation highlighting four main tracks; (a) Wild Indigenous Plant Sources, (b) Food from Indigenous Crops, (c) Domestication of Indigenous Plants and (d) Production and Commercialisation of Indigenous Crops.

The conference brought over about 170 participants from around the world.

Manyin said the Sarawak government is not trying to interfere with the agencies conducting research by inviting all these agencies to collaborate with SRC but to enable them to collaborate and coordinate those research projects that have been conducted all this while, rather than they being ended up in theory, newspapers, magazines but do not have commercial value.

“We hope we can work together with these research agencies and others,” he added.

He said SBC has already formally collaborated with Trinity College, Cambridge where the SRC is working with the college on all of the research projects for the next three years.

Manyin also said that the Sarawak government, through SRC is currently concentrating on five clusters which are the Bio-Industry, Food and Agriculture, Biodiversity and Forestry, Environment and Sustainable Energy as well as Engineering and Technology.

“Sarawak is one of the biodiversity hot spots in the world. I hope that the rich bio-resources we have in Sarawak are harnessed actively but most importantly, in a sustainable manner,” he stressed.

He said his ministry is also looking forward to strengthen agriculture and agro-based activities in the state, not only to help small scale farmers but also to introduce commercial and industrial-based farming.

Among those present at the conference were Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technology Research Dr Annuar Rapaee, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus (UPMKB) director Prof Dr Bujang Kim Huat, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Dean Dr Shahrul Razid Sarbini and ISCIC2018 chairman Assoc Prof Dr Patricia King Jie Hung.

Date of Input: 19/10/2018 | Updated: 19/10/2018 | lanz