Total areas of 1.7 million hectares were planted with oil palm in Sarawak, says Statistics Dept in its agriculture census 2024 report

KUCHING, April 16 2026: A total areas of 1.7 million hectares in Sarawak were planted with oil palm, according to the Statistics Department in its agriculture census 2024 report.

The department said this was followed by rubber with 68,200  hectares, fruits with 27,400 hectares.

“These three  activities contribute a  total of 98.1 per cent of the total planted area, while other crops account for  33.6 thousand hectares,” the department said.

The agriculture census also recorded that the total sales value for the crop  subsector in Sarawak amounted to RM20.68 billion, the forestry and logging subsector (RM1.52 billion), followed by the livestock subsector (RM1.05 billion).

“While the  captured fisheries subsector and aquaculture subsector recorded sales value at  RM597.23 million and RM141.7 million respectively,” the department said.  

It said the total income of the agriculture sector for Sarawak in 2023 amounted to  RM29.18 billion, with the crop subsector emerged as the largest contributor at  RM23.58 billion (80.8%), followed by forestry and logging subsector RM2.88 billion  (9.9%), livestock subsector RM1.96 billion (6.7%), captured fisheries subsector  RM605.55 million (2.1%) and aquaculture subsector RM151.57 million (0.5%).

The three) administrative districts recorded highest total income were Sibu (RM2.58  billion), Mukah (RM2.30 billion) and Bintulu (RM2.21 billion).  

Establishments agricultural holdings contributed RM22.49 billion, equivalent to 77.1  per cent of agriculture sector’s income, while individual holdings recorded RM6.70 billion (22.9%).

These findings are derived from the census, conducted from  July 7, 2024 to  October 31, 2024 through extensive and strategic collaboration  between DOSM and 1,390 agriculture-related agencies at the federal, state and district  levels.

Sarawak recorded 147,411 agricultural holdings, of which 145,377 were individual,  representing 98.6 per cent while the remaining 2,034 agricultural holdings were  establishments.

Employment in the agriculture sector for Sarawak recorded 358,803 persons in 2023.  The top three administrative districts contributing to employment were Miri (22,087  persons), Subis (19,348 persons) and Sibu (17,936 persons), collectively accounting  for 17.0 per cent of the total employment. The oil palm activity was the main contributor  to employment, representing 62.0 per cent of the total agricultural employment in  Sarawak.

The average annual wages and salaries in the agriculture sector was amounted to RM19,122 with five administrative districts recording levels above the state average,  namely Kabong (RM25,040), Matu (RM25,016), Mukah (RM24,341), Marudi  (RM23,543) and Subis (RM23,498)

The key ministries and agencies involved include the Ministry of Agriculture and  Food Security (KPKM), the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK), the Ministry  of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the Sarawak Ministry  of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) and the Sabah  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI).