Kota kinabalu: Efforts to expand the kenaf industry in Sabah and Sarawak are being intensified through strategic collaborations and large-scale plantations. Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad announced that development in Sabah is being spearheaded through collaboration with Sabah Land Development Bhd (SLDB).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Sabah Agriculture Department has approved import permits for special kenaf seeds to be cultivated in the Sook district in Keningau, with potential planting of up to 200 hectares for seed and livestock feed production. As a pilot initiative, a five-hectare trial plot for livestock feed production will be developed in collaboration with SLDB's subsidiary, Sabah Livestock Dairies Breeder Sdn Bhd (SLDBSB), and is expected to begin in May 2026. Noraini mentioned that a seed and livestock feed processing centre is also planned to support the industry ecosystem in the state.

Meanwhile, kenaf development in Sarawak will be carried out in collaboration with Juta Walet Trading and Services, targeting 234 hectares under a cluster farming initiative to produce fibre, seeds, and livestock feed. Cultivation in the state is expected to expand further, with 500 hectares earmarked in Miri and Sarikei, while Texo Engineering is exploring the development of another 150 hectares. To complete the kenaf value chain in Sarawak, a kenaf seed processing centre will be built in Bintulu, to be complemented by an existing processing facility in Ulu Sebauh.