Sabah Agriculture Department, Malaysian Kuwaiti Investment Company Sign MOU on Coconut Plant Technology

The Sabah Department of Agriculture and Malaysian Kuwaiti Investment Co Sdn Bhd (MKIC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) involving a joint venture to verify the authenticity of plant material and technical advisory services for coconut plant technology, Bernama news reported on August 21.  The MOU is a continuation of the collaboration between the two parties since last year in the coconut plantation sector, MKIC chairman Datuk Seri Dr. Sabin Samitah said.  Both parties are also collaborating to produce Matag hybrid coconut seeds and it is expected that 200,000 seeds could be produced within five years to be supplied to smallholders in the state.
MKIC, according to Sabin, has been involved in palm oil cultivation in Sabah for the past 30 years before venturing into the coconut plantation sector with a large-scale coconut operation at the PJ Nagus Plantation in 2018.  From a ‘seed farm’ area of 50 acres, it expanded to 2,060 thus making MKIC’s coconut plantation the largest in Sabah.  Various high-yielding coconut have been planted including matag, tacunan, Malayan dwarf and Vietnamese dwarf, he said. When the coconut plant reaches full maturity in 2060, PJ Nagus Plantation is expected to produce no less than 20 million coconuts per year, he added.
MKIC is also working to develop a coconut-based downstream industry to utilize the coconut production in addition to developing a coconut processing factory in partnership with the main players in the industry, a direct effort which would bring investment and job opportunities in Sabah.  The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Sabah, Jeffery Kitingan hoped the collaboration could be elevated towards making the coconut farming the largest industry in Sabah.  “I also hope that this will encourage downstream industry, processing and finally exporting as we want to make Sabah a net exporter of foodstuffs including coconut,” he added.