SMART SBB INITIATIVE IN SABAH BOOSTS PADI YIELD BY 50 PCT

KOTA BELUD, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Large-Scale Smart Padi Field (SMART SBB) Programme in Sabah has raised padi production by 50 per cent, increasing yields from 2.8 tonnes to 4.22 tonnes in the participating areas, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

He said that the programme involved 16 participants from Taun Gusi Peninting, who carried out planting this season on a 17-hectare padi field.

Mohamad said that SMART SBB has garnered interest from a local factory, Kilang Padi Sri Sino Sdn Bhd, which aims to develop a total of 100 hectares of padi fields for this programme.

“This programme reflects the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security’s (KPKM) commitment to ensuring that the country’s food supply, especially in Sabah, remains sufficient and resilient.

“It also aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices in padi production, starting with Jelapang Padi Sabah as an exemplary model for other cultivation areas,” he said during his visit to the SMART SBB project area here today.

Also present was Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup.

According to Mohamad, KPKM is working to implement three projects in Kota Belud aimed at providing a more sustainable irrigation and drainage system for the 2,100-hectare padi cultivation area, with an allocation of RM66.87 million.

He added that to boost padi cultivation productivity, the government has established a standard floor price of  RM1,300 for paddy purchases in Sabah, Sarawak, and the peninsula last February.

“This not only supports the padi and rice industry in Sabah and Sarawak, ensuring its sustainability and competitiveness, but also helps increase the income of padi farmers, encouraging them to boost production,” he said.

Mohamad said that in October last year, the government took a proactive measure to stabilise the supply and price of rice in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan by providing a subsidy of RM950 per tonne for the imported white rice (BPI) wholesale price.

“It has had a positive effect on BPI’s retail market prices, bringing them to around RM28 to RM30 for a 10-kilogramme bag in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan,” he said.

-- BERNAMA