Apart from expanding padi planting areas in Sabah, KPKM plans to revive abandoned padi fields, particularly in Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor. – File pic
KUALA LUMPUR: As the demand for rice increases sharply in Malaysia, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) has intensified its efforts to raise production of the staple and secure the nation’s food sustainability through plans to develop new granaries across Sabah, Sarawak and southern Peninsular Malaysia.
This comes after its Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu introduced reforms to the padi and rice sector on Oct 9, 2024.
Mohamad: The 2025 budget allocation will advance the agro-food sector for improved food security. — ONG SOON HIN /The StarHe said that the rising demand for rice comes not only from Malaysians but also from the estimated two to three million foreign workers in the country.
“This is why KPKM is taking concrete steps to address the shortfall in rice production in the peninsula,” he said in an interview.
With recent setbacks such as the loss of a rice harvest season in Kelantan due to drought and the impact of floods in Kedah, Mohamad said the need to boost rice production has become greater.
“However, despite the rice losses in Kedah and Kelantan, the local rice supply remains adequate, mainly due to the price of imported rice having gone down a fair bit,” he said.
Mohamad noted that India, through the recent visit of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has offered an extra 200,000 tonnes of rice to Malaysia, in addition to white rice from Pakistan that has been made available at a lower price.
The minister said one of the key initiatives to boost rice production is the joint effort with the Sarawak government, which has allocated RM500mil in its budget for next year to develop new padi fields in the state.
“The ministry will work on the project together wherever possible, such as with the irrigation systems among others.
“Our officials will have intensive discussions with the Sarawak government, which is serious about the project and determined to become a rice exporter in less than 10 years,” he said.
Similar efforts are underway in Sabah, where the ministry is looking at expanding the padi planting areas in Kota Belud.
Other plans by KPKM include reviving abandoned padi fields, particularly in Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, through the setting up of a dedicated Southern Integrated Agricultural Development Area.
“There are about 1,700ha that, if developed with large-scale systems and modern technology, could significantly boost Malaysia’s rice supply,” said Mohamad.
In Budget 2025 presented last month, KPKM has been allocated RM6.42bil, a 4.1% rise from the previous year’s RM6.17bil.
The ministry has initiated a strategic agenda to enhance food security by optimising land use for agricultural projects.
Towards this end, Budget 2025 has allocated RM300mil for collaborative efforts with state governments to maximise land utilisation for agriculture.
KPKM has also established technical and main committees that include representatives from state governments and relevant agencies.
“These committees are responsible for reviewing and approving project applications as well as overseeing the implementation process to ensure effective execution,” Mohamad said.
Meanwhile, KPKM is taking significant steps to enhance agricultural productivity, sustainability and quality by integrating modern technologies such as GPS, sensors, drones, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics.
“We are also stepping up our efforts for sustainable agriculture through organic fertilisers,” he added.
This year, KPKM launched a pilot project to supply organic fertilisers to designated padi fields in several states, benefiting 8,718 farmers.
Next year, the ministry plans to expand this initiative to include areas in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) region of Kedah and Perlis, covering a total of 22,371.83ha over two planting seasons.
Through this, farmers can reduce their operating costs by RM220 per hectare and potentially boost their income by RM180 per hectare, providing concrete economic incentives to encourage farmer participation.
