TUARAN: Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation (Bioeconomy Corporation, formerly known as BiotechCorp) is forging community development programme in conjunction with Karnival Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (Karnival STI) in Tuaran, Sabah.
The Bio@Community programme held in conjunction with Karnival STI aims to promote awareness of the Bioeconomy Community Development Programme (BCDP), a programme run by Bioeconomy Corporation and endorsed by the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS), which involves the enlisting of rural farmers and settlers to cultivate raw materials for BioNexus companies and BTP project owners. The Bio@Community also seeks to present BCDP projects and their opportunities to the communities in Tuaran and to encourage their participation in BCDP for wealth creation.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Bioeconomy Corporation, Tuan Syed Agil Syed Hashim said that the organisation has also been collaborating with joint-venture partners, investors, universities, corridors and land authorities to develop the bioeconomy in the state. The Bioeconomy Community Development Programme (BCDP) focuses highly on people’s wellbeing and high income achievement through inclusiveness, innovation and sustainable development. The BCDP provides an avenue for farmers to participate in this new economy and to capitalise on the bio-based sector to unlock future economic growth and to maintain the state competitiveness.
“The bioeconomy in Sabah revolves around the idea of a sustainable economic growth, economic development via utilisation of bio-based resources, and through Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), to capture higher value-add economic activities. The overall economic aspect would mean elevating the household income of the community, addressing disparity of income as well as increasing employment opportunity,” he said.
Karnival STI is a programme implemented by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). This programme supports and encourages the learning and application of science and technology and innovation (STI) by various levels of society to achieve the goal of making Malaysia a highly developed and high-income nation. On the second day of the event, Bioeconomy Corporation took part in community engagement activities during a “Training for Trainers” workshop that discussed opportunities and challenges in incorporating bio-based technologies with farming and how this can increase productivity.
Bioeconomy Corporation has collaborated with local industry players to uplift the socio-economic status of the rural population, including with BIMP EAGA Bioeconomy and Flora Bee Hive Enterprise (FBH) for a proposed bee farming project, and the Rural Development Corporation (KDP) for cultivating mushroom using bio-based solutions. Representatives from both BIMP EAGA Bioeconomy and the Rural Development Corporation (KPD) are present during the workshop to present opportunities in bee farming and mushroom cultivation to the workshop participants.
The implementation of bioeconomy programmes in Sabah will continue to contribute towards realising the long term BTP targets of achieving RM48 billion in Gross National Income (GNI), creation of 170,000 new jobs and attracting investment of RM50 billion by the year 2020. As for the BCDP, it aims to create and to provide job opportunities to more than 3,500 farmers by 2020, each farmers with minimum additional income of RM4,500 per month. This will also impact more than 15,000 livelihoods in the rural communities.-BC/BNN
