MAFI to attract private sector investments to make padi sub-sector more dynamic, competitive - Kiandee

SHAH ALAM, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) intends to attract more private sector investments to make the country's padi and rice sub-sector more dynamic and competitive.

Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said this was among the efforts being made to increase padi production at the domestic level following the country's self-sufficiency level (SSL) being at around 63 per cent.

He said the ministry's concern over national food security was based on the fact that the country's population would continue to increase for the next ten years, further increasing the risk of local food production due to uncontrollable factors such as climate change and crop diseases.

"Besides that, MAFI intends to develop padi cultivation areas with a target of 300,000 hectares in stages, targeting to increase the national average yield per hectare to seven tonnes during the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) and increase the income of the target group of farmers,” he said in a statement.

Kiandee said MAFI was also planning to collaborate with local researchers with the support of industry players to expand scientific studies on the use of fragrant rice which was seen to be the main choice of staple food for Malaysians.

“Efforts to cultivate MRQ76 fragrant padi on a large scale is seen to be able to complete the value chain in the country's padi and rice sub-sector.

"The  'SMART Sawah Berskala Besar' (SMART SBB) (large scale padi planting) scheme can also be extended to other crops including the cultivation of maize which has a high demand and dependence on imports, where so far, 19 leading companies have participated in the programme," he said.

Kiandee said MAFI was studying a new specific policy for the development of the maize industry to reduce feed imports which included a large-scale approach and encouraged the involvement of the private sector or government-linked companies (GLCs).

In another development, Kiandee said the Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) document exchange ceremony between FGV Integrated Farming Holdings Sdn Bhd and Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) today was an example to other leading companies to make the country's padi and rice sub-sector more competitive.

“Among the main contents of the MoC is the joint development of the SMART SBB project for the cultivation of fragrant rice in all suitable and potential locations throughout the country; infrastructure development and post-harvest services by BERNAS for fragrant padi processing covering drying activities, padi manufacturing and rice packaging, ”he said.

-- BERNAMA