KAPIT: Katibas state assemblyman Datuk Ambrose Blikau Enturan has called on local farmers who have planted dabai to take good care of their orchards so that the trees would fruit annually and generate income for them.
Speaking when officiating at the opening of the first dabai festival (Pesta Dabai) in Song during the weekend, he reminded them that Song was popular for the best dabai in the state.
Kapit District Council (KDC) which organised the event in collaboration with various government agencies in the district also received praise from Blikau who witnessed the people’s great response to it.
Blikau pointed out that people in Sibu, for example, sell signature dabai fruits from Song because the district is the birthplace of the popular plant.
“People in other districts can plant dabai too, but the soil is not the same, so they end up with different results.
“Thus I call on all dabai growers in Song district to maintain their orchards well. If you don’t, and you don’t plant new trees, in the future Song could lose to dabai growers in Kanowit, Sibu, Bintangor and other areas who started out with seedlings from Song,” he said.
He also called on the council and other relevant authorities such as the Agriculture Department to do research on how to come up with downstream dabai product and how to preserve the fruits so that they are always available in the market.
Concerning Phase II and Phase III of Song Waterfront development project, he was hopeful that the waterfront would become one of the most beautiful in Sarawak.
Alse present at the opening of the festival were Blikau’s wife Datin Marie Therese; Kapit Walikota, Datuk Philimon Nuing; a political secretary to the Chief Minister, Tapah Ata; KDC’s secretary, Jabang Juntan; head of various government agencies, councillors and community leaders.
Among the activities on the first day of the festival were an exhibition, cultural show, performance by Kelab Gagung Sarawak and a public concert.
On the following day the activities included dabai competition, dabai cooking competition, guess the number of dabai fruits competition, Katibas Bridge Fun Run, Song Got Talent, children’s colouring contest, Song strong man contest, community sports, and Song mini powerboat competition.
