BINTULU: Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr.) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg officiated the Opening Ceremony of the Congress on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (COSAFS2026) held at the Imperial Hotel, Bintulu, on Monday.

The congress, organised by Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak (UPMS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak (M-FICORD) and the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF), takes place from 3 to 6 August 2026 in conjunction with Sarawak Agrofest 2026.

Themed “Feeding the Future, Fostering Sustainable Food”, COSAFS2026 gathers researchers, academics, industry professionals, policymakers, government agencies, as well as local and international participants to discuss current issues related to sustainable agriculture, food security, technological innovation, and agro-industrial development.

The hosting of this congress aligns with Sarawak's aspiration to strengthen the agro-food sector and realise its target of becoming a net food exporter by the year 2030.

In conjunction with the ceremony, the Sarawak Premier also launched AgriHub, an agricultural transformation brand and platform pioneered by UPMS.

AgriHub encompasses three main initiatives—AgriHub@Gedong, AgriHub@Layar, and AgriHub@Marudi—focusing on smart agriculture development, community empowerment, technology commercialisation, and agro-industrial growth based on local strengths.

The platform integrates research, technological innovation, and strategic collaboration among the government, academic institutions, industry, and the community to modernise Sarawak's agro-food sector.

Through the expansion of initiatives from Gedong to Layar and Marudi, AgriHub plays a vital role in reinforcing food security, increasing productivity, and enhancing the wellbeing of rural communities, while building a resilient agro-industrial ecosystem.

The event also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Universiti Putra Malaysia, represented by UPM Vice-Chancellor Dato’ Prof. Ir. Dr. Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, FASc, and SEDC Nutreco Sdn. Bhd., represented by its General Manager, Rakayah Hamdan.

This strategic collaboration is expected to strengthen synergy between academic institutions and industry in empowering research, innovation, and the development of the nation's agro-food sector.

COSAFS2026 also brings together four international conferences running concurrently: the International Scientific Conference on Indigenous Crops (ISCIC2026), the International Conference on Fisheries and Animal Sciences (FISAS2026), the International Conference on Food and Industrial Crops (ICFIC2026), and the 18th Conference and Exhibition of the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (ISNFF2026).

Also present were the Speaker of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar, Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Deputy Ministers, Bintulu Resident Datu Nyurak Keti, heads of departments as well as community and tribal leaders (KMKK). — UKASnews

Prepared by: Firdaus Materang
Photos by: Ameerul Syafik
Translator: Ryan Lim

Date of Input: 17/08/2026 | Updated: 17/08/2026 | lanz