KUCHING: The Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development is looking into ways to mechanise paddy farming in the state in a bid to boost productivity and achieve higher yields.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said mechanisation of paddy farming could also be the key to attracting the younger generation into the agricultural sector.
“Paddy planting is something that the youth is quite dreadful to go into. Therefore we have to find ways and means to mechanise paddy planting.
“In advanced countries where paddy farming is fully mechanised, everything from ploughing, transplanting, to fertiliser and pesticide spraying is done using machinery, including drones.
“So, I think that will entice the young people to go into paddy planting,” he said in a press conference after delivering his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Dr Rundi added farmers in the state are ageing, not just in paddy but across all agricultural sectors.
“To attract the younger generation, we must create a more modern, tech-driven environment. They are IT-savvy and adaptable, which is why we’ve introduced Agroparks — dedicated areas for high-value crops.
“So far, nine have been planned, with one completed. Through precision farming and IoT adoption, we aim to build a new generation of farmers and realise our dream of becoming a net food exporter,” he said.
Reflecting on the Ministry’s recent official visit to China, Dr Rundi described the trip as “an eye-opener,” highlighting China’s success in producing up to 15 metric tonnes of rice per hectare annually using high-yield paddy seedlings developed through over five decades of research.
“If we can adopt that model and manage our soil well, we could significantly increase productivity,” he said.
Dr Rundi further stressed the importance of building a complete agricultural supply chain — from research and development to production and market access.
“You can’t just tell farmers to plant if they can’t sell their harvest. It must be a full-circle system,” he said.
He pointed to China and Taiwan as examples, saying that despite Taiwan’s mountainous terrain, the country still manages to export rice, while China has achieved 100 per cent self-sufficiency in rice production for its 1.4 billion citizens.
“Sarawak, with just 2.5 million people, but cannot provide enough rice. So, the way we do things is no more 100 per cent manual and we are moving to automation,” he said.
Earlier in his winding-up speech, Dr Rundi said with the population projected to reach approximately 3.2 million by 2030, Sarawak will require to produce around 440,000 metric tonnes of paddy equivalent to 260,000 metric tonnes of rice to meet domestic demand.
“In 2023, Sarawak’s rice self-sufficiency level (SSL) was at 32 per cent, producing about 71,000 metric tonnes of rice.
“However, in 2024, estimated rice production dropped to 51,000 metric tonnes, decrease to 21 per cent SSL. This shortfall forced Sarawak to import around 192,000 metric tonnes of rice, valued at RM511million,” he said.
