MINI BLACK PEPPER PROCESSING FACTORY BOOSTS ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN KADAMAIAN

9 May 2021

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA BELUD: A mini processing factory for black pepper built in Kg Lompios here has helped boost the economic activities of the Kadamaian constituents.

The Sundu Sabah Pepper factory is owned by the chairman of Kota Belud Black Pepper Growers and Entrepreneurs Association, Janus Tion. There is another community-owned mini product processing that has yet to start operating.

"My factory is already operational but we are still waiting for two more machines which are in the delivery process by the Malaysian Pepper Board.

"However, the community-owned factory has yet to operate since extra works need to be done on the outside of the building," he said.

The factories were among those included in the Kadamaian Development Master Plan under the Rural Entrepreneurship Development with the support of Kadamaian State Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick.

According to Ewon, Kg Lompios is a strategic location as the village is one of those in the Kadamaian area with many black pepper entrepreneurs.

"The village was one of the first that we have helped to start black pepper cultivation a few years ago when I was a Board Member of the Malaysian Pepper Board.

"I am glad because the black pepper planting industry by the church and village communities still goes on to this day," he said after inspecting the factories here, recently.

The former Minister of Rural Development also affirmed that he would continue his effort to help develop the black pepper industry in Kadamaian.

"Before becoming the people's representative, I worked hard to obtain allocations for black pepper seed supplies, get pillars of support pillars, conduct courses and visits related to small farmers in Kadamaian.

"After becoming the people's representative, I managed to provide a special allocation to continue these initiatives because it is one of the programmes that could boost the economic resources of the people here," he pointed out.

Ewon also expressed hope that the establishment of the two factories would benefit all black pepper entrepreneurs in his constituency.

Meanwhile, he inspected the facilities that are available in the Kg Lompiios which include suspension bridges, tourist lodges, concrete roads, and a tamu ground which all were built several years ago.

"I hope the government and current Kadamaian development administrator office can continue building such facilities for the people of Kadamaian," he said.

Previously, he inspected a gotong-royong programme building a church dining at SIB church of Kg Tangkulung.

"Last year, I channelled an allocation for the completion of this building construction and this year through the Assemblyman's 'Touchpoint' programme, I managed to contribute to the ceiling installation," he said.