3 days ago
Premier: Sarawak to be a top Malaysian rice producer within 5 years, will help strengthen food security
Abang Johari (fourth left) visits one of the booths at the exhibition. From second left are Azman, Sirai, and Arthur.
KUCHING (Aug 13): Sarawak is gearing up to become one of Malaysia's biggest rice producers within the next five years, aiming not only to meet its own needs but also to strengthen national food security.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the state's ambitious push is part of the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, designed to reduce reliance on rice imports from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of National Padi Conference 2025 (Padi 2025) last night, Abang Johari cited a successful trial in his constituency of Gedong, which used new seed varieties, modern machinery, and improved irrigation methods.
'With Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Sarawak, we carried out an experiment in Gedong, where we used new seed varieties on 5ha of land. We applied clean water, advanced machinery, and the right treatments.
'The results showed yields increasing from one tonne per ha to eight tonnes per ha. Furthermore, rice can be harvested over five seasons in just 24 months,' he said.
Abang Johari said farmers' incomes can significantly increase if they have the will to change and adopt modern methods.
'If one season produces eight tonnes, the difference compared to traditional yields is huge.
'Over two years, five harvests can produce 40 tonnes – meaning a substantial rise in income for our community. If this experiment is successful, other areas can also benefit,' he said.
The Premier pointed out Sarawak allocated RM1 million from its own funds in 2023 for irrigation projects and had offered to match federal contributions for similar initiatives.
The state plans to expand paddy cultivation from the current seven sites to 14,000ha, with long-term projections to develop up to 240,000ha – enough to achieve self-sufficiency and supply surplus rice to other states.
He explained the state's efforts will focus on improving soil fertility through biomass-based fertilisers made from oil palm waste and urea derived from local gas, tailored to Sarawak's soil conditions.
The strategy will also combine support for smallholder farmers with scalable, large-scale commercial rice farming.
'If Mardi (Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute) can help Sarawak produce more seeds, we have plenty of land to plant them and produce more rice.
'For example, we just allocated 14,000ha – which is only a small portion of Sarawak's land. If we add another 14,000ha and produce 40 tonnes per 1,000ha, the total from the additional land alone could be around 500,000 tonnes,' he said.
He also called for greater cooperation between Sarawak, Sabah, and Peninsular Malaysia to raise the country's rice production capacity.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between research institutions and the farming community, with research findings needing to be applied in the field to raise productivity.
'We know our climate, we have the land, and with the right technology and seeds, we can produce enough not just for Sarawak, but for Malaysia.
'God willing, by 2030 we will be among the largest rice producers in the country,' he added.
Among those present were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dato Sri Arthur Joseph Kurup; Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak (Food Industry) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail; Agriculture and Food Security Ministry secretary-General Datuk Seri Isham Ishak; Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak permanent secretary Datuk Sirai Daha; Mardi board of management chairman Dr Azman Ismail, and Mardi director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani. Abang Johari food security lead rice production
