KUCHING: Sarawak is embarking on large-scale padi farming to ensure rice self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on imports, says Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi.
The state Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister said Sarawak needed 450,000 tonnes of padi a year to meet domestic demand.
“We cannot depend on rice imports forever.
“If rice exporting countries face a drop in production due to climate change or geopolitical issues, we will have a problem.
“We must be prepared to produce sufficient rice without importing, which will also ensure food security,” he said when launching the Sarawak Agriculture Census Interim Report 2024 yesterday.
Dr Rundi said his ministry would continue to identify suitable land for padi farming.
“This has to be based on data. Sarawak is big but not all land is suitable for the crop,” he said.
According to earlier reports, 11,700ha of state land had been identified for padi cultivation as of May this year.
Eight project areas under state land have been approved for padi development by the Sarawak Paddy and Rice Taskforce, covering a total of 2,000ha in Kuching, Serian, Sri Aman, Kapit and Limbang.
Dr Rundi also called on the state Agriculture Department to step up the registration of farmers under its e-Tani system for more effective distribution of assistance.
Through the system, he said, the department would be able to identify not only farmers but what crops they produce, the locations and their needs.
“This will allow us to formulate targeted policies, assistance and incentives based on the data,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Statistics Department, which released the interim report, said oil palm was the largest contributor to Sarawak’s agriculture sector with sales worth RM18.61bil in 2023.
“This represented 79% of agriculture sales, making oil palm the state’s dominant commodity,” it said in a statement.
