By David E.
KOTA KINABALU: Oct 31, 2026 – After 10 months of the Kebun Dapur Sabah programme running, more than 3,000 householders in rural and interior areas of Sabah are not only planting for their own use but have also begun selling produce to neighbours, with demand steadily increasing.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said yesterday that the development showed positive response to the initiative by the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI), which has also produced small entrepreneurs among participants.
“In fact, some have already cultivated crops on several acres of land following their first experience through the Kebun Dapur programme.
“To date, statistics I have received from the Sabah Agriculture Department as programme coordinator show that more than 3,000 householders in rural and interior areas have already established Kebun Dapur gardens in their respective house compounds,” he told reporters after officiating the Agro-Forum 2026 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here.
Jamawi said the participation of 13 Kebun Dapur mentors in the forum provided an opportunity for young agricultural entrepreneurs to showcase their respective products through exhibitions and sales.
He said the effort needed to be expanded so that more young people who succeed in agriculture could be highlighted, while also being assisted in terms of marketing and collaboration opportunities.
He said the participation of approximately 13 countries in the Big Sabah Sale programme at SICC also opened up space for the mentors to expand business networks and cooperation with international participants and visitors.
“We do not want to stop at just these 13 mentors. In the future, we want, if possible, tens or hundreds more entrepreneurs who succeed in agriculture to be highlighted and assisted in terms of marketing,” he said.
Jamawi said the Kebun Dapur Sabah initiative had also drawn the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which launched the Kebun Kendiri programme at the federal level last month.
He said the concept and implementation of the programme were almost similar to the initiative carried out in Sabah.
He said the Kebun Dapur programme not only helped improve food security but also reduced dependence on imported food and increased the self-sufficiency level (SSL) for main agricultural products that were still dependent on foreign supply.
Meanwhile, Calvin Chin Situ stated that the programme was jointly organised by SICC, led by its Chief Executive Officer Datuk Rosmawati together with the mentors, to promote Kebun Dapur throughout Sabah and Malaysia.
