By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 13: The Sarawak government, through the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA), has approved 143 hectares of land in Meradong for hybrid paddy cultivation through a 20-year collaboration with Onemas Agriculture Sdn Bhd.
According to a TVS news report, Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, stated that this initiative represents a strategic step toward boosting local rice production and strengthening Sarawak’s food security as initial trials indicate hybrid paddy has the potential to yield up to 11.08 metric tonnes per hectare.
This is compared to approximately 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare using traditional planting methods.
He added that the development of new varieties, such as Perennial Rice, which is currently in the pilot project phase, also holds the potential to boost production because the crop can regrow after multiple harvests.
However, he said further evaluation was needed before the variety could be adopted on a wider scale.
“One of the measures we are taking is striving to secure the best paddy varieties that can be cultivated to enhance production,” he said following the Sub-Lease Memorandum Signing Ceremony between LCDA Agri Business Sdn Bhd and Onemas Agriculture, today.
Dr Rundi noted that Sarawak’s current rice Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) stands at only 21 per cent, while the State aims to increase it to at least 60 per cent by 2030.
To expand paddy cultivation, the government has identified approximately 14,000 hectares of potential land, with an initial development of 2,000 hectares planned through a public-private partnership using the Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer (DBOT) model.
According to Dr Rundi, the government will focus on providing agricultural infrastructure, while operators will be responsible for managing planting operations to boost productivity and reduce reliance on imported rice.
“If there is no rice available for purchase, what will we eat? That is why we must take the development of the rice industry seriously and utilise new technologies to ensure better food security in the future,” he said.
He expressed hope that this initiative could help achieve Sarawak’s rice SSL target by 2030, while simultaneously fortify the State’s food security and reduce dependency on external rice supplies. – DayakDaily
