Ten-day Sarawak Agrofest to be held in Bintulu, says minister Dr Stephen Rundi

KUCHING, June 23 2026:  The Sarawak Agrofest 2026 (SAF 2026)  will take place in Bintulu from September 25 to October 4, 2026, with the opening ceremony to be officiated by Premier Abang Johari Openg.

Caption: Dr Stephen Rundi Utom (seated, centre) with his two deputies  Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (left) and Martin Ben at press conference

Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said Bintulu is chosen as the venue due to its strategic location in the heart of Sarawak, thus facilitating access for visitors from all over the state.

“Previous organising experiences have shown a very encouraging response, and we are confident that SAF 2026 will continue to record greater success,” he told a press conference today.

He said the festival is targeting the attendance of 800,000 visitors throughout the 10-day event, in addition to generating sales value reaching RM6.5 million.

Its main focus is to accelerate the transition of the agricultural sector from traditional methods to the use of smart technologies such as automation and digitalisation.

“This festival is not just a sales platform, but an important platform for the government in driving the paradigm shift of the agricultural sector towards high-tech modernisation,” he explained.

Dr Rundi said SAF 2026 will feature 14 main segments including exhibition pavilions of government and private agencies, agro trade, agro fresh, agro tech, agro input, e-shop farmers, Sarawak Kitchen as well as various commodity sites such as paddy, fish, pineapple, sago, nipah and livestock.

In addition, an international Congress on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (COSAF) 2026, will also be held from  August 3 to 6 in Bintulu in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak, Bintulu Campus, themed “Feeding the Future: Fostering Sustainable Food”.

 Awards will be presented to the outstanding Sarawak Agro-entrepreneur Icon, Youth Agro-entrepreneur, Best Food Crop Entrepreneur, Best Agro-based Industry, Best Inland Fisheries, Best Area Farmers’ Organisation and Best Breeder.

Dr Rundi’s two deputies Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and Martin Ben and Permanent Secretary of the ministry Sirai Daha were present at the press conference.