PASIR SALAK, July 6 -- The cultivation of fragrant rice under the Large-scale Smart Padi Field Project (Smart SBB) is expected to be able to reduce its import by 75 per cent, said Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) Padi and Rice Regulatory division director-general Azman Mahmood.
To date, he said the first phase of the project involving 600 hectares in Seberang Perak and Selangor, is now awaiting harvest which is expected to be sold in August.
“The fragrant rice harvest will be the first local fragrant rice produced by MAFI and FGV Integrated Farming Holdings Sdn Bhd (FGV) which will be sold commercially at the end of this month,” he said.
He told reporters when met together with Deputy Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, at the padi cultivation centre in Seberang Perak today.
Azman said 11 leading companies were involved in developing the fragrant rice padi planting area which combined padi fields via the contract farming method without taking over the padi field land ownership status from the landowners.
“Interestingly, the Smart SBB approach, under the contract farming concept is successfully practised in Vietnam and Thailand for more productive and targeted output,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
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