Sabah’s kitchen garden initiative has attracted around 3,000 participants within just six months of its launch, far exceeding the government’s initial expectations, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said.
Jamawi said the programme originally aimed to attract 5,000 participants over a five-year period. However, a survey conducted by the ministry found that about 3,000 people had already started home kitchen gardens during the first six months.
“We targeted 5,000 participants over five years, but our survey shows around 3,000 people have already joined the initiative within six months,” he told reporters during the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting on Thursday.
To encourage greater participation, Jamawi said the ministry plans to introduce an incentive scheme during this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration to recognise individuals who have successfully established productive kitchen gardens.
He added that the ministry is working with Kota Kinabalu City Hall, the Sandakan Municipal Council and the Tawau Municipal Council to identify vacant urban land that can be converted into community kitchen gardens, especially for residents living in flats and condominiums.
Beginning next year, the programme will also be expanded to schools and higher education institutions with the support of relevant ministries and agencies to promote food security awareness among students.
Separately, Jamawi urged elected representatives, heads of government departments and state agencies to prioritise locally grown fruits as official gifts and souvenirs instead of imported produce.
He said replacing imported fruits such as apples and grapes with locally grown alternatives would help create more market opportunities for Sabah’s fruit growers and strengthen the state’s agriculture sector.
