GUANGZHOU: November 12, 2026 – Urban residents in Sabah living in condominiums and apartments no longer need to dream of gardening. Idle land owned by local authorities will be turned into community gardens, allowing them to grow their own vegetables in the evenings or on weekends.
The garden model is adapted from the Mingzhu Modern Urban Agricultural Experimental Park in Nansha, Guangzhou.
Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the kitchen garden concept at the park opens a new perspective for Sabah.
“There are communities living in condominiums or apartments who do not own land but are interested in gardening on weekends,” he said.
The park provides special plots for individuals without their own land. The approach is in line with the Kitchen Garden initiative currently being introduced in Sabah.
Jamawi said his ministry has discussed with Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) to identify open or idle areas owned by local authorities with potential for development.
The initiative gives urban residents space to produce their own food. It also encourages community participation in agricultural activities in a more organised manner. MAFFI plans to apply the kitchen garden concept around the ministry’s buildings with the involvement of agencies under it.
The visit to Guangzhou also exposed the delegation to advances in biotechnology research. The technology is capable of increasing the commercial value of agricultural and livestock products. Jamawi gave the example of crabs that can be marketed at around RM800, while chickens reach a value of about RM400 each.
He said the approach of adding value to products through research and technology increases operators’ returns. It also opens up opportunities for the development of more competitive agricultural products.
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah President Datuk Dexter Lau said the visit opened a broader perspective for the business community. They were able to see the potential of the agricultural sector as an industry with multiple streams of income.
“I like how China divides the agricultural sector into different segments, whether for food production, the blue economy, landscaping or various other sources of income. Each segment has its own marketing strategy,” he said.
Dexter said operators need to explore sub-sectors that offer different profit margin structures to create balance in business operations. He encouraged the Sabah Department of Agriculture to establish a special unit focusing on profitability and investment viability.
“When profit margins for food products are relatively low, we can look at aquaculture, which has the potential for higher margins. By combining several products, we can balance returns and reduce pressure from the agricultural sector,” he said.
He described the cooperation between the government and the business sector as an important platform for developing industry opportunities and stimulating economic growth. It also creates jobs and brings new knowledge to Sabah.
