Government Prioritises Initiatives for Hardcore Poor

The Government has always prioritises the hardcore poor in its action plans and programmes to eradicate hardcore poverty in Sabah.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, said on 4 June 2024, during his working visit to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI), at Wisma Pertanian, Kota Kinabalu, that the latest eKasih data indicated that the hardcore poor household heads have dropped to 8,699. Other initiatives – such as the newly established Sabah Padi and Rice Board (LPBS) -must boost Sabah's food self-sufficiency level (SSL). The Chief Minister wants government-linked companies to use unutilised lands to be developed for agriculture, particularly padi as mandated by the State Cabinet.

He said in this respect, MAFFI could help in providing the necessary resources. Deputy Chief Minister I / Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said that Sabah's SSL will improve to 65 per cent by 2030 and to 100 per cent by 2035. LPBS’s focus will be on boosting padi yields from the average of 2.9 metric tonnes to seven metric tonnes per hectare by 2030; developing abandoned padi fields to increase acreage and opening new padi fields through partnership with State GLCs and private investments; issuance of export and import licenses and permits; and packaging and sales of padi and rice.