KOTA BHARU, June 11 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will carry out a pilot padi farming project in an area covering 30,000 hectares, scheduled to start this September, said its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
For a start, he said, the project would be carried out with the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA).
“The MADA area covers 100,000 hectares, but the five-season project will only involve 30,000 for a start, and to ensure its success, we will improve the irrigation system so that it can supply water all the time and with new technology, and tested padi seeds, we will get better crop yield,” he said.
He told reporters this after visiting the Permanent Farmers’ Market at the Tunjong Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) here today.
Mohamad said this in response to a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday that the government was considering the “five seasons in two years” padi cultivation initiative as one of the efforts to improve the country’s rice output.
According to Mohamad, the project would be carried out prompted by the success in Sekinchan, Selangor, which was able to produce seven to 12 metric tons of padi per hectare.
“As for (farming areas in) MADA and the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA), the production is only about five tons.
“I am confident that with the new technology, and carrying out the five seasons in two years’ padi planting, we will be able to reach the Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) of rice production,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad also assured that there would be a sufficient supply of cattle for this year’s Aidiladha sacrifice.
