KUALA LUMPUR: The government is continuing its allocation of RM53.46 million for subsidized agricultural inputs under the Upland and 'Huma' Paddy Fertilizer and Pesticide Scheme (SBRPB) in Sabah and Sarawak this year as a continuation of previous initiatives.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup (picture) said the move was aimed at increasing productivity, economic resilience of paddy farmers who cultivate hill or 'huma' paddy and strengthening the agricultural sector in both states.
“This subsidy will not only ease the burden of production costs borne by paddy farmers but also serve as an incentive to continue cultivating upland or upland paddy crops sustainably and increase the income of local communities,” he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Bobbey Ah Fang Suan on the impact on paddy farmers and the continuation of the assistance to hill and 'huma' paddy farmers.
Arthur said last year, the allocation was channeled in the form of agricultural input subsidies such as compound fertiliser, liquid urea fertiliser and herbicides to 33,597 paddy farmers in Sabah and Sarawak with a total planting area of 27,457.69 hectares.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) was looking into taking into account the cultivation of both types of paddy in the national rice Self-Sufficient Rate (SSR) specifically for Sabah and Sarawak due to the high planting area and production volume.
“Currently, hill and 'huma' paddy are not taken into account in the national rice SSR because the paddy cultivation activity is practiced semi-traditionally and depends on natural water resources,” he said.
Arthur said the planting area in Sabah last year was 11,960.19 hectares while in Sarawak it was 15,497.50 hectares.
