KUCHING: Farmers must leave traditional methods of tilling their land behind, especially in the cultivation of rice which has become a pressing issue of late.
Food Industry, Commodities and Regional Development Datuk Seri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom said farmers must always be ready for change, optimise land use, and consider approaches that have proven effective in advanced countries, such as cluster-based or product-specific approaches.
During his keynote address at a dinner held in conjunction with the 38th Annual General Meeting of the Sarawak State Farmers Association (PPNS) Tuesday (Sept 19), he said Sarawak’s primary obstacle presently lies in rice production, with challenges stemming from land conditions, water scarcity and weather conditions.
“Sarawak has vast land, but not all of it is suitable for rice cultivation. Hence, we need to form farmer groups or farming projects that are suitable.
“Collaboration between the private sector, the public sector, and community involvement or cooperation is crucial to enhance our supply.
“In the context of Sarawak, we need to embrace new technology to increase productivity and quantity without compromising the necessary quality and standards,” he said.
Our Self Sufficiency Rate (SSR) for rice is currently only around 36 per cent, he said, adding India has stopped direct exports, leading to rice price increases and if Thailand also imposes export controls, Sarawak will face even bigger problems.
He said the goal is to therefore to achieve a SSR of between 60 to 75 per cent by 2030 with the help of everyone.
Having said this, he conceded the current challenge faced by farmers is the ageing demographic among them.
To address this issue, there is a need to spark the interest of the younger generation in farming.
“I understand that the agricultural sector may not be seen as glamorous, and fewer people are interested because they perceive it as dirty, hot, and so on.
“Therefore, our task is to create an environment that is suitable and appealing to the younger generation, just like the young people who have started onion cultivation and those involved in greenhouse farming,” he said.
