Pertanian Di Sarawak

Abstract

1. Introduction Sarawak covers 124,520 sq. km of which 25% is used for agriculture out of which about 23% is for hill and wet padi cultivation. Only about 29% of land is suitable for agriculture. Sarawak has an equatorial climate with slight regional differences affecting crop variety. The population of Sarawak was 1.5 million (1987). 2. Importance of the agricultural sector Agricultural activities provide livelihood for 80% of the population, and employment for 51.5% of its workforce. A substantial 90% ($800 million) annual agricultural production value comes from the smallholders family farms. Growing agriculture exports amounted to $430M in 1987 with pepper leading the list while agriculture imports totalled $529M with tobacco heading the list. Relatively agriculture contribution to GDP had fallen from 15.5% in 1978 to 10% in 1987, but in absolute terms, it had increased from $471 to $566M.