NILAI, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan government today introduced its own rice brand named 'Perpatih' to meet local demand and further develop the rice industry in the state, said Senior Exco Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias.
Jalaluddin, who is also the State Agriculture, Food Security and Cost of Living Committee chairman, said the rice supply is sourced entirely from paddy cultivation areas across the state, including Gemas, Jelebu and Kuala Pilah.
"Currently, our rice supply is still insufficient. Therefore, we have initiated this effort, where farmers send their paddy to be processed and packaged as Perpatih rice, which will first be sold to meet the needs of the Negeri Sembilan people.
"We only have about 580 hectares dedicated to paddy cultivation out of a total of 1,200 hectares, with many areas still to be planted and developed gradually," he told reporters after launching the brand at the Negeri Sembilan Fest (NS Fest) today.
He added that the rice, priced at RM26 for each 10-kilogramme pack, will be sold through the Negeri Sembilan Prihatin Sales across the state and distributed via the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA) and the Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP).
Meanwhile, Jalaluddin said that to ensure a continuous supply of state rice, several measures are being implemented, including improving farm infrastructure, irrigation systems and technology transformation programmes, such as using drones for fertilisation and pest control.
He also mentioned that the state was collaborating with private companies to establish a Paddy Collection Centre in Melang, Kuala Pilah.
Additionally, the state government is offering a special Paddy Production Incentive, where each tonne of paddy delivered will receive an additional RM100, with a limit of 20 tonnes per farmer per season. This incentive aims to encourage farmers to deliver their rice to the collection centre.
"God willing, as a long-term measure, the state government is planning to build its own rice processing plant," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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