By DayakDaily Team
KUCHNG, Aug 14: The federal government has allocated RM129 million to the Sarawak government to implement programmes and projects under the national food security agenda throughout 2025.
In a media release today, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the funds will support 61 major development projects, including initiatives to boost the paddy and rice industry such as the Paddy Development Project in Tanjung Purun, Lundu, and the Paddy Plantation Area Development in IADA Batang Lupar.
An additional RM36.7 million has been approved under the Land Use Optimisation Programme for 12 projects under Phases 1 and 2.
“These allocations and strategic projects reflect the strong collaboration between the federal and Sarawak governments in advancing a holistic and integrated approach to national food security,” he said during the closing ceremony of the National Paddy Conference 2025 at Raia Hotel on Wednesday (Aug 13).
Themed The Paddy Wave Towards National Food Security, the conference shared the latest research and development findings in the paddy and rice sector while fostering closer ties among policymakers, researchers, extension officers, farmers, industry players, and entrepreneurs nationwide.
Over the course of the event, 28 papers were presented, including one keynote address, three plenary sessions, 24 invited presentations, and 90 research posters, covering nine key research areas, highlighting the wealth of insights and shared expertise.
Joseph noted that the success of the conference underscored the commitment of all stakeholders in addressing critical issues, crafting strategic action plans, and defining each party’s role within the industry’s value chain.
“This forum reflects the ministry’s and agencies’ openness to diverse perspectives as the foundation for more inclusive and effective policies.
“My hope is that the knowledge, ideas, and resolutions gathered here will be carried forward and implemented according to each party’s capacity, whether at the policymaking level, in field operations, or within farming communities, which are the true heartbeat of the nation’s agricultural sector,” he said. — DayakDaily
