KUALA LUMPUR: The government is maintaining its allocation of RM53.46mil this year for subsidised agricultural inputs under the Hill Paddy Fertiliser and Pesticides Scheme (SBRPB) in Sabah and Sarawak, in line with previous initiatives.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the initiative aims to boost productivity, enhance the economic resilience of hill padi farmers, and strengthen the agricultural sector in both states.
“This provision will not only reduce production costs for padi farmers but also serve as an incentive for them to continue cultivating hill padi sustainably, ultimately increasing local community income,” he during a question and answer session at the Dewan Negara yesterday, Bernama reported.
Arthur was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Bobbey Ah Fang Suan regarding the impact on padi farmers and the continuation of assistance for hill padi farmers. Last year, the allocation was distributed as agricultural input subsidies – including compound fertiliser, liquid urea fertiliser and herbicides – to 33,597 padi farmers in Sabah and Sarawak, covering a total planting area of 27,457.69ha.
Arthur said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is considering including hill padi cultivation in the national rice Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR), specifically for Sabah and Sarawak, due to their extensive planting areas and high production volume.
“Currently, hill padi is not factored into the national rice SSR as its cultivation is largely semi-traditional and relies on natural water sources,” he said.
Last year, the planting area covered 11,960.19ha in Sabah and 15,497.50ha in Sarawak.
