ALOR STAR: The government plans to diversify mass padi cultivation areas across the country as a long-term strategy to mitigate the impact of climate change on staple food production.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said that the severe flooding in northern Malaysia in recent months had disrupted the country's white rice production.
To address this, he said there was a need to adopt a model used by larger countries, where crop production is spread across different regions to reduce the risk of major disasters affecting food supply.
"Natural disasters are a challenge, but they don't happen all the time. We need to be prepared. We must establish new 'jelapang padi' (mass padi cultivation areas) in regions like Sabah and Sarawak.
"For example, when a disaster hits Florida in the United States, other states remain unaffected. In our case, when the northern states are hit by disaster, it impacts rice production. That's why we must shift focus to the East Coast, Sabah, and Sarawak," he said.
Mohamad told reporters this after witnessing the signing of a concession agreement for the development of infrastructure to support five cultivation seasons every two years in padi fields under the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada).
The agreement, signed between the ministry, Mada, and MMC Engineering, includes the development and maintenance of 15 blocks of tertiary irrigation systems, at a cost of RM526.37 million, and the comprehensive rehabilitation of Pedu Dam, costing RM234.86 million.
The total project cost is RM761.23 million, marking the first phase of a RM1 billion initiative aimed at boosting rice production in the Mada area, which was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 2025 Budget.
This project is part of the federal government's RM5 billion allocation to increase local white rice production in Kedah through the five-season cultivation initiative.
Mohamad said that the project, which involves collaboration with the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) and Mada, was crucial for improving infrastructure, irrigation systems, and the livelihoods of farmers while enhancing Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency.
"The goal is to increase paddy yield from 5 metric tonnes per hectare to 5.6 metric tonnes per hectare, which will raise farmers' gross annual income from RM31,000 to RM46,000.
"This initiative will boost national rice production by about 5%, from 775,000 tonnes (RM1.008 billion) to 821,000 tonnes (RM1.068 billion)," he said.
Mohamad also said that the government was considering upgrading infrastructure in other mass padi cultivation areas under different authorities, such as the Integrated Agricultural Development Project Area (Iada) and the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada).
"We are working to expand this initiative to other areas like Kada, Iada, and in collaboration with the state governments of Sarawak and Sabah.
"We have also visited states like Negri Sembilan and Melaka, where there is consensus on reviving idle padi fields. Ensuring the country's food security is crucial, as we must meet domestic demand while reducing reliance on imported white rice."