TUARAN: July 30, 2026 – A total of 1,000 vanilla shoots have been handed out to community-based tourism operators and local residents in Kiulu, as part of a push to develop agro-tourism and create new sources of income for the community.
Kiulu state assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai announced the initiative at the closing ceremony of the MADANI Community Casual Chat Programme at Dewan Sri Rantaka in Kampung Simpangan Lama on Tuesday.
Joniston said vanilla cultivation held significant potential to improve living standards in the area.
“Vanilla cultivation can raise the standard of living for residents and strengthen the agro-tourism sector, which is a major draw for visitors to Kiulu,” he said.
He stressed that the state government continued to prioritise efforts to boost household earnings, alongside infrastructure improvements to ensure community well-being.
He also gave his full backing to the programme, organised by the Tuaran District Information Office in collaboration with the MADANI Community of Kampung Rungus Nabaha.
“Such programmes should continue as they serve as a channel for delivering information, knowledge and assistance that benefits the community and supports local development,” he said.
Throughout the event, participants attended briefings from the Tuaran Agriculture Department and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, which covered various government assistance initiatives available to communities.
My Kebun Vanilla Kinarut manager Leo Komuji also gave a special talk on the potential of vanilla as a high-value commodity, explaining that the crop was not only well-suited to the agricultural sector but could also become a new attraction within Kiulu’s agro-tourism industry.
Sumber: JAPEN
