Kitingan: Sabah needs RM10 billion to develop rice industry

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah needs to develop its rice production industry to reach a 60 per cent self-sufficient level by 2030.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it would cost RM10 billion to develop the irrigation and drainage infrastructure, fertiliser subsidies, inputs and sales, as well as machines and ploughs.

Kitingan, who is also the state agriculture and fisheries minister, said padi would be planted twice a year in stages using high-yielding variety rice seeds and rehabilitating abandoned padi fields.

"Presently, the state Drainage and Irrigation Department is working to upgrade the existing systems for an area of 17,805ha and has also proposed to develop 11,000ha of rice plantations in Felda Lahad Datu," he said in a statement.

On milk production, he said Sabah had reached the self-sufficient level of 115.63 per cent, or 8.435 million litres, last year.

"The issue of small farmers closing down their farms is not new. This is caused by high operational costs due to the global increases in feed costs.

"The high labour costs have also indirectly increased the costs of farm operations.

"The many restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic have also contributed to the shortage of foreign workers in the market.

"This was exacerbated by the increase in the minimum wage rate to RM1,500."

Although the number of small farmers had dwindled, he said, the number of cattle on large private farms had increased.

Kitingan said the Department of Veterinary Services Sabah had urged the government-linked and private companies to boost the livestock population by participating in the Borneo Dairy Valley Programme, starting from 2023 to 2024.

So far, he said, only two GLC companies, namely Sabah Land Development Board and Desa Keningau Livestock Industries Sdn Bhd, had applied.

On maize production, he said Sabah produced just 0.01 per cent of the crop last year. He added that only 14ha were dedicated to the crop, which yielded 14 metric tonnes (MT) against the total annual demands of 153,151MT.

"The Sabah government is determined to raise maize output by 3.68 per cent in 2025 and 14.88 per cent by 2030.

"The existing planting area of 14ha will be increased by another 1,160ha (including 1,000ha from the private sector) as a new planting area under the 12th Malaysia Plan.

"Conventional irrigation systems will be replaced with sprinkler systems and apply good agricultural practices (APB), drones for fertilisation and pest and disease control, and use high-yielding (seed) varieties.

"We need the active participation and investment from the private sector, particularly an anchor company in the cereal maize crop sector, for this to succeed," he said.

Source: NST