by DayakDaily Team
BINTANGOR, Jan 16: By utilising modern technology, Sarawak can produce up to 240,000 tonnes of its own rice and subsequently market it using its own packaging, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg says.
The Premier shared that Sarawak government currently has plans to develop 45,000 hectares of rice across Sarawak, and this initiative of introducing modern technology in rice farming could produce at least 200,000 metric tonnes of rice annually, which is sufficient to meet the region’s needs.
He shared that with modern technology, the entire cycle from planting to market-ready rice, takes just three months.
“It’s projected that in 24 months, this project will yield three harvests per year. One hectare is expected to produce 9.425 tonnes, similar to the results seen in the pilot project in Gedong,” he said at the launch of Onemas Agriculture Sdn Bhd’s Paddy Processing Mill in Sungai Padi, Bintangor.
“Sarawak alone requires 240,000 tonnes of rice, and by meeting this supply, we can eliminate our reliance on imports.
“If smallholders are included, our production could surpass 240,000 tonnes, and the surplus could be exported,” he added.
Currently, Malaysia imports 70 per cent of its rice, with 30 per cent of it being exported.
“We will make a new packaging from rice produced in Sarawak. Our target is 240,000 tonnes of rice by 2030 from Lawas, Limbang, Kuching, and here,” he told members of the press.
“If we have surplus, we can start exporting it. We can also look at the downstream process of rice production like producing rice flour if there is a surplus of rice production, aside from exporting it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said he hopes that the mindset of people would change when it comes to modern farming.
“There is no shortage of technology today, and our people must embrace it to build a brighter future.
“I believe the younger generation, exposed to new technologies, can transform into modern farmers and entrepreneurs, contributing to the growth of Sarawak’s food sector,” he said.
He also hopes that the Farmers’ Association would modernise by adopting new technologies and he believe this investment would be worthwhile.
On another note, Unimas, in collaboration with Onemas, is currently conducting research to develop and produce Sarawak’s own hybrid paddy seedlings, which are tailored to local soil conditions.
According to the Premier, through this collaboration, UNIMAS will conduct research on paddy seeds from China used by Onemas to be combined with Sarawak’s paddy seeds.
“Here, we have asked UNIMAS to assist in producing seeds and improving the paddy planting system. UNIMAS will conduct research to combine Chinese seeds with our local seeds. This research will focus on the quality of the seeds.
“Secondly, it is about the land, as we have identified this area to become a rice production valley due to the availability of peat soil,” he explained.
Also present during the launch were Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh, M-FICORD Deputy Minister Datuk Martin Ben, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS) Datuk Abdullah Saidol, Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Laws and Customs) Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat, Adviser at the Sarawak Premier’s Office (Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development) Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Onemas Agriculture Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Stephen Sia, and other distinguished guests.
– DayakDaily
