KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) hopes Budget 2027 will give special focus to developing and modernising irrigation and drainage systems in paddy-growing areas.
KPKM secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak said the move was important to ensure the country’s food security remained resilient over the next 15 to 30 years.
“If greater emphasis or substantial budget allocation can be given to help us improve and upgrade irrigation and drainage systems in paddy fields, I am confident this can lead to a very significant increase in productivity over the next 10 to 20 years,” he said.
Isham said this when he was a guest on the Reaksi programme titled “Pre-Budget 2027: Driving the High-Value Paddy Industry”, produced by Bernama Radio here today.
He also hoped Budget 2027 would focus on strengthening mechanisation and technology as strategic components in attracting younger generations to the agriculture sector.
Isham said the move could also change perceptions of the paddy industry, reduce dependence on foreign labour and complete the paddy production ecosystem as a whole.
“Overall, there must be a balance between subsidies and a focus on productivity, technology and increasing the income of paddy farmers,” he said.
Budget 2027 is scheduled to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 9.
-- BERNAMA
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