SERIAN, July 19: The Sarawak government has set the target of increasing the State’s self-sufficiency level (SSL) for rice production to 60 per cent by 2030.
According to a report by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) today, Deputy Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Martin Ben said Sarawak has only achieved an SSL of 38 per cent for rice production so far, with the rest imported.
He said that the government has held discussions about food security, especially the need for rice, which is heavily imported from foreign countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Indonesia.
“There was a shortage of rice supply during the Covid-19 pandemic, causing exporting countries to reduce supply, so the government imported rice from India and Pakistan,” he said.
He said this while officiating at the ‘In-Situ Agronomi Tanaman Padi’ course in Kampung Bunan Gega on Monday (July 18).
A total of 100 people from six villages—Kampung Bunan Gega, Kampung Bunan Punok, Kampung Terbat Mawang, Kampung Terbat Leban, Kampung Mujat, and Kampung Mongkos—attended the course organised by the Serian Divisional Agriculture Office.
Meanwhile, Martin, who is also the Kedup assemblyman, added that the State government would try to find allocations for wetlands to be used as paddy and rice production areas. — DayakDaily
