KOTA KINABALU – With adequate financial resources, Sabah will be able to achieve a rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) of 60% by 2030, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
He voiced his confidence in a statement today regarding the government’s strategies, which include increasing rice productivity and yield using technology, mechanisation, and automation.
The plan will see rice being planted twice a year in stages, in accordance with the irrigation system development level, using high-yielding varieties of rice seeds and rehabilitating abandoned padi fields.
“The ministry is working through the Drainage and Irrigation Department to upgrade existing irrigation and drainage systems and build a new irrigation and drainage system for an area of 17,805ha.
“Other strategies include intensifying research and development activities and expanding the physical area of padi fields. This includes a proposal to develop 11,000ha of rice plantations in Felda Lahad Datu,” he said.
The agriculture and fisheries minister said these initiatives are expected to cost RM10 billion, including irrigation and drainage infrastructure works, fertiliser subsidies, inputs and sales, as well as machines and ploughs.
At the same time, the Sabah government is also determined to raise maize output to 3.68% in 2025, and 14.88% by 2030.
The state produced 0.01% of its maize needs last year, with only 14ha of land dedicated to the crop, yielding 14 MT against total annual demands of 153,151 MT.
“For a start, the existing planting area of 14ha must be preserved, adding another 1,160ha (including 1,000ha from the private sector) as new planting area under the 12th Malaysia Plan,” he said.
There is also a need to modernise the sector by replacing conventional irrigation systems with sprinkler systems and using sophisticated agricultural machinery, good agricultural practices, drones for fertilisation and pest and disease control, and high-yielding varieties.
“Naturally, we will need active participation and investment from the private sector, particularly an anchor company in the cereal maize crop sector, for these to succeed,” said Kitingan.
In terms of milk commodities, Sabah considers itself self-sufficient with a rate of production above 100%, producing 8.435 million litres of milk last year, or 115.63% of SSL.
The minister explained that the issue of small farmers closing down is not a bad trend because it can improve production capacity, disease control, livestock management, and pollution management.
Therefore, even if the number of farmers has decreased to 30, this has not affected Sabah’s fresh milk production capacity.
Kitingan said that the issue of small farmers closing down their farms is not new because due to higher costs of operations, feeds, and shortage of labour – exacerbated by the increase in the minimum wage rate.
Furthermore, a tendency in the global livestock industry shows a drop in the number of small breeders, with commercial farms with higher livestock ownership replacing them.
Small breeders are frequently unable to expand their operations due to challenges such as a lack of skills and knowledge in finance and marketing. As a result, many small farmers were forced to stop their operations and sell their livestock to larger farms.
“Although the number of farmers has decreased, the number of cattle on large private farms has increased. This global trend is also seen in Sabah and other livestock sub-sectors such as poultry and pigs,” he said.
Through the Sabah Veterinary Services Department, Kitingan urged government-linked companies and private companies to participate in increasing the livestock population with the help of the federal government through the Borneo Dairy Valley Programme, which begins in 2023-2024.
“So far, only two GLC companies have applied, namely the Sabah Land Development Board and Desa Keningau Livestock Industries Sdn Bhd.
“The Borneo Dairy Valley Programme will propel the local dairy industry to new heights,” he said.
Kitingan said the department would continue to implement and submit proposals for further allocations for projects to boost milk production and subsequently the ruminant livestock population in Sabah.
GLCs responded positively to livestock integration programmes under crops such as palm oil, and some even prepared their own investment capital to optimise land use and boost their source of income. – The Vibes, July 31, 2022
