KUALA LUMPUR: Almost RM600mil will be allocated to improve Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) this year, says the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
The largest allocation of RM441.42mil will be for irrigation infrastructure, drainage infrastructure, and field development around both granary and non-granary areas of rice farms.
A further RM100mil will be allocated for its soil fertility recovery programme to rejuvenate soil fertility at rice fields across the country, the ministry added in a parliamentary written reply dated Tuesday (July 7).
Other allocations include RM20mil for organic fertiliser formulation through the foliar soil nutrition supply method.
"RM14mil has also been allocated to continue the padi productivity improvement project (outside granary areas), 5 Musim 2 Tahun (5M2T) padi planting programme, and Large-Scale Smart Padi Field (SMART SBB) programme.
"A further RM26.475mil has also been allocated to support the mechanisation and automation in our paddy cultivation nationwide this year," It said.
The ministry added that while data on Malaysia's rice SSR for last year has yet to be finalised, preliminary figures from the Agriculture Department show a likely positive increase.
"The department’s Crop Cutting Survey (CCS) preliminary data currently shows an increase in rice production for 2025 so our national rice SSR is also expected to rise," it added.
Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) wanted to know the country's SSR level for 2025 and the ministry’s efforts to improve it this year.
