By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Sept 28: Sarawak is expected to start planting paddy on about 8,000 hectares from next year, with about 7,000 hectares of State land already identified and gazetted specifically for rice cultivation.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the move was part of the State’s push to expand domestic rice production and strengthen food security.
“Insya-Allah, starting next year, we will have about 8,000 hectares,” he said in his speech at the opening of Sarawak Agrofest 2026 in Bintulu today, which was broadcast live by the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS) across its social media platforms.
Earlier in his speech, Abang Johari said Sarawak had identified 14,000 hectares for paddy cultivation, with about 4,000 hectares gazetted under Section 7 for paddy and another 2,299 hectares of State land identified for the same purpose.
He said this brought the area identified and gazetted for paddy to about 7,000 hectares, where other crops could not be planted.
“This means about 7,000 hectares have been identified and gazetted, and no other crops can be planted there — it must be paddy,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Abang Johari explained that the gazetting was necessary to prevent the land from being diverted to crops offering higher returns, particularly oil palm.
“We gazette it for a reason. Otherwise, they may use the land for other crops because paddy is grown in stages and its returns may be lower. We feel that if we do not gazette it, perhaps the land could be used for oil palm, where the returns are higher,” he explained.
He said Sarawak would also use modern technology to improve paddy yields, including hybrid rice and perennial rice.
Citing his Gedong constituency as an example, Abang Johari said paddy yields there had increased from about 1.2 tonnes per hectare to between six and eight tonnes per hectare through collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the use of technology.
“This means six times more using technology. It also means the farmers’ income is six times higher,” he said.
He said Sarawak was also conducting trials on perennial rice in Kuala Baram in collaboration with Yunnan University, with a laboratory being developed there to work with local scientists on seeds and soil.
Abang Johari said the State was also exploring integrated paddy-fish farming, where water storage areas could be incorporated into paddy fields to allow farmers to generate a second income from fish farming.
He said Sarawak’s broader aim was to transform agriculture into a commercial industry rather than simply a traditional livelihood.
“Farmers are not a poor group. They are a group that develops the country’s economy,” he said.
Abang Johari said the expansion of paddy cultivation would form part of Sarawak’s efforts to increase domestic rice production and contribute to Malaysia’s food security. — DayakDaily
