Areas like Ngemah and Tunoh hold significant potential to be developed into key padi cultivation zones.
Ngemah assemblyman Anyi Jana said although Ngemah is not listed among the state’s main large-scale padi cultivation areas, it still holds significant development potential in the sector.
He said that this is particularly through traditional padi cultivation as well as the production of high-quality or specialty rice with strong market value.
“Based on local conditions in Ngemah, Kanowit, padi farming carried out by the local community is a mix of hill padi or upland rice (traditional) and wet padi.
“Hill or upland rice is typically cultivated on dry land by rural communities, including the Iban community, with Sarawak possessing a diversity of up to hundreds of traditional rice varieties passed down through generations,” he said.
He said when debating in support of the Sarawak Padi and Rice Board Bill, 2026 during the DUN Sitting today (May 12).
He added that wet padi cultivation involves modern varieties introduced to improve yields, including MR27 (Kadaria), MR30, MR52 (Manik), Mahsuri Line 17, as well as MR220 CL-2 and MR269, which are widely planted nationwide.
“This diversity of varieties not only reflects Sarawak’s rich agro-biodiversity, but also holds potential to be further developed as a source of quality food and high-value rice products in the future,” he added
In this context, he said, Sarawak has also demonstrated its capability in producing premium rice such as Bario rice, which is well known for its quality and strong reputation both locally and internationally.
“This shows that the development of high-quality rice can be expanded to other potential areas such as Ngemah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Baleh assemblyman Nicholas Kudi Jantai also called for areas such as Tunoh to be given attention as new areas for high-technology padi cultivation.
He said Tunoh has strong potential in terms of land size, water resources and suitability for modern agricultural development, if supported by adequate infrastructure and technology.
“I believe the development of areas such as Tunoh will not only increase the state’s padi production, but also transform the economic landscape of rural communities.
“Through modern agricultural development, new employment opportunities can be created for local residents, especially the youth,” he said.
