By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 19: Sarawak has decided to use its own funding of RM500 million to kickstart the development of drainage and irrigation infrastructure for its planned high-yield paddy cultivation projects following the absence of federal funding in yesterday’s National Budget 2025 announcement.
Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expressed disappointment at the lack of allocated funds, especially after submitting a request to the federal government.
“I had hoped for a budget allocation for Sarawak’s paddy cultivation projects.
“But kalau nadai, sik apa lah (Since there is no budget, it is okay). Sarawak will use its own resources for our rural farmers to plant paddy,” he said during the Sarawak Agenda townhall session in conjunction with the annual Lan Berambeh held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur, which was broadcast live on the Ukas Channel, today.
Abang Johari revealed that this initiative would be included in Sarawak’s Budget 2025, set to be tabled at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly Sitting in November.
Meanwhile, the National Budget 2025, presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, earmarked nearly RM1 billion to launch a five-season paddy planting project within two years under the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (MADA), covering almost 11,000 hectares.
Abang Johari highlighted the importance of adopting high technology in agriculture, particularly to improve productivity without ‘breaking the back’ of farmers while ensuring both quality and quantity in paddy production.
“The use of high technology enables us to develop other critical sectors, especially agriculture, as food security remains a global issue. Let Sarawak be the producer of food,” he said.
“Currently, Sarawak only produces 30 per cent of our rice while the remaining 70 per cent is imported. Is Sarawak not capable of producing our own rice when we have an abundance of resources from water to land and technology?” he asked.
Sarawak has already launched a pilot project for a five-season paddy cultivation this year, which has proven successful in producing eight tonnes per hectare.
By 2030, the target is to produce 240,000 tonnes of rice on 20,000 hectares of land, a figure Abang Johari said would comfortably meet the region’s consumption needs.
Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof and Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian were among those present. — DayakDaily
