Sarawak targets 8,000ha of paddy planting next year with RM1b state allocation
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Sarawak expects to start planting paddy on about 8,000 hectares next year and is offering to match any additional federal funding for the crop.
The state has already set aside RM1 billion for paddy development. The federal Agriculture and Food Security Minister said he would bring Sarawak’s request for another RM1 billion to the Cabinet; no new federal allocation has been approved yet.
Sarawak has identified about 14,000 hectares for paddy. Of these, 4,000 hectares have been gazetted under Section 7, while a further 2,299 hectares of state land have been identified for the same purpose; together, about 7,000 hectares have been identified and gazetted for paddy. The acreage is a planning figure, not proof that all the land is ready to plant. Irrigation and drainage works will determine how quickly farmers can use it.
The state pointed to Gedong, where a collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia reportedly raised paddy yields from about 1.2 tonnes per hectare to between six and eight tonnes. That is one local example, not a guarantee for every new site. For growers, the next signal to watch is a funded infrastructure schedule. The plan is also part of Sarawak’s effort to raise local rice output and strengthen Malaysia’s food supply.
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