KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 — Dewan Negara has been told that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) is not yet ready to transition the traditional cultivation of hill padi (padi bukit or padi huma) to large-scale production.
Its deputy minister Chan Foong Hin said that currently hill rice cultivation is carried out on a small scale by the local communities and indigenous people (Orang Asal), especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
“In terms of commitment, the government’s effort to advance hill padi cultivation has been demonstrated through an allocation of RM50 million announced during the tabling of Budget 2024 by the Prime Minister,” he said in reply to the supplementary question raised by Senator Hussin Ismail during the oral question and answer session in Dewan Negara today.
Hussin wanted to know the government’s preparedness to transition hill padi cultivation towards large-scale production involving research and development (R&D), among other things.
Chan said in terms of R&D, the ministry has discussed with various parties, including Khazanah Research Institute, to plan the development of the hill padi industry that produces rice with high commercial value.
“To advance hill rice cultivation to a large-scale and export-oriented industry, we need to implement various adjustments, including amendments to the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994, as the government does not encourage rice exports
“However, the increase of RM50 million in the government’s allocation can be a positive initial step towards advancing the traditional padi cultivation in the future,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2024 in October, said the government agreed to raise the subsidy allocation for hill rice from RM40 million to RM50 million, which is expected to expand the cultivation area to 43,000 hectares. — Bernama
