SIBU, July 16 (Bernama) -- The Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) will strengthen collaboration with higher education institutions, development agencies, and local communities to build a rural economy driven by innovation, technology, and high-value products.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, said rural economic development can no longer depend solely on the production of raw commodities, but must focus on creating value chains that enable communities to adopt technology and access broader markets.
He said the success of the High Impact Community Projects (HICP), which increased participants' average income by more than 25 per cent, demonstrated that investments in research, innovation, and knowledge transfer could deliver tangible improvements to livelihoods.
"Universities are not merely centres of research but strategic partners in developing community economies. When research is aligned with the needs of the people and supported by the government and implementing agencies, the result is not just laboratory innovation but economic opportunities capable of transforming lives," he said in a statement.
The statement was issued following a visit by a joint delegation from URDA and the Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) to the Advanced National Honey Landmark (AnNaHL) Translational Centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Health Campus in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, today.
Nanta, who is Kapit Member of Parliament and Works Minister, said rural development must prioritise building community capacity through knowledge, skills, technology, and market access to enable sustainable income generation.
He said several locations within the Kapit parliamentary constituency have been selected for high-impact community projects, including stingless bee (kelulut) honey projects in Melatai Selirik and Kampung Tatai Mas Raweng, an integrated livestock farming project in Nanga Yong, and the construction of the Upper Rajang Honey Processing and Marketing Centre in Song.
According to Nanta, the centre will serve as a hub for the processing, marketing, training, and development of the kelulut honey industry in Kapit, further strengthening the area's rural economy.
-- BERNAMA