KUCHING: The National Pepper Industry Expansion and Development Centre is important for the advancement of pepper development.
Federal Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said no industry would ever be able to develop if there is no research and development (R&D) done.
“With the completion of the centre, we will be able to further boost the quality of pepper in Sarawak and throughout Malaysia,” he said during his visit to the project site in Semenggok today.
The RM80 million centre will be constructed in three phases.
“The first phase costing RM1.8m is for the socio-research project while the second phase, which is the construction of the building for R&D, costs RM38 mln that was channeled under the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK-11).
“The third phase uses RM40 mln under RMK-12.
“This project will be key for the development of pepper, that is why for the third phase, it would cost more as there would be a development block that includes lecture rooms.”
Mohd Khairuddin revealed that currently, the project was at 69 percent completion and full completion was expected to be around July this year.
