By Amanda L
KUCHING, Oct 5: Low productivity is a key factor behind the long-standing perception of paddy cultivation as a “poverty crop”, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg says, as Sarawak turns to modern technology to raise yields and rural incomes.
He pointed to traditional yields of about one tonne per hectare, contrasting them with the significantly higher output achievable through modern agronomy and technology.
“There is a pervasive belief that paddy farmers are tied to a poverty crop, condemned to stay poor without any hope of accumulating wealth,” he said during the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS) 40th anniversary gala dinner here on Sunday (Oct 4).
To overturn this narrative, Sarawak has initiated high-impact pilot projects across the State.
In Gedong, an ongoing trial conducted in partnership with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has successfully boosted yields eightfold, elevating output from one tonne to eight tonnes per hectare.
An even larger breakthrough is unfolding in Baram, where Sarawak is trialling perennial rice varieties developed in collaboration with China’s Yunnan University.
“The rice can regenerate after harvest without replanting, allowing multiple harvests from a single planting and with yields estimated at up to 14 tonnes per hectare across two seasons annually,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Abang Johari envisaged a modernised agricultural ecosystem powered by autonomous drones, robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring systems.
“When applying fertiliser across fields, we should deploy drones. However, that requires our farmers to be upskilled to manage and operate these technologies effectively,” he stressed.
The Premier asserted that scaling up farm productivity would not only fortify Sarawak’s food security, but also establish the state as a major regional rice exporter once domestic requirements are fulfilled.
“Once local demand is met, we export. Technology holds the key to positioning Sarawak as a regional food powerhouse,” he said. — DayakDaily
