KUALA LUMPUR – The government plans to increase its padi production to six tonnes per hectare (ha) compared to the current level which is between three to four tonnes per ha.
Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister Chan Foong Hin (Kota Kinabalu-PH) said as for rice production and the country’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR), Malaysia will be able to achieve up to 75% or 80%, without needing to increase the size of existing padi fields, depending on how much yield is available for each ha.
“For example, now we have achieved 62% (in self-sufficiency) because the yield in our padi field is three to four tonnes per ha. If we can increase that to six tonnes per ha, we can achieve 80%.
“So in conclusion, it doesn’t matter on the current geographic size that padi has already been planted in – the fundamental matter is how much of padi can be produced per ha,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in response to a supplementary question by Datuk Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang-PN).
Additionally, he said the ministry will be encouraging more youths to enter into the agriculture sector through the Program Agropreneur Muda (PAM).
“Through PAM, it will always help and encourage the involvement of youths in the field of farming, for example, this is in the form of farming goods and materials valued at RM2,000 per individual.
“In 2021, as many as 96 youth farmers benefited from aid amounting to RM1.92 million while last year, 77 of them received RM1.54 million,” he said in response to a supplementary question by Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin-BN). – November 6, 2023