PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated that the federal government has approved an allocation of RM1 billion to enhance paddy production in Kedah, as part of broader efforts to strengthen national food security.
"We have allocated RM1 billion, and it is a continuous commitment," Anwar told reporters after attending the Health Ministry’s Aidilfitri celebration on Tuesday.
His remarks come in response to a recent statement by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who told the Kedah State Assembly that the federal government should provide RM200 million annually as a special incentive for the state to maintain its rice bowl areas.
The RM1 billion allocation was first announced by Anwar during the tabling of Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat on 18 October last year. The funding is aimed at supporting infrastructure development under the phased implementation of the five-crop paddy cultivation programme over two years in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) areas.
The initiative was officially launched by the Prime Minister on 27 February and forms part of a larger RM5.376 billion commitment to improving paddy productivity nationwide. - April 22, 2025
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