The MAFI-BERNAS Collaboration Memorandum Document Exchange (MOC) Ceremony was witnessed by YB Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry, State Government representatives and also BERNAS for the Operation of Legal Paddy Seed Factory (SPPC).
The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister I MAFI, Datuk Seri Haji Ahmad Bin Hamzah, Deputy Minister (Regional Development) Ministry of Agriculture Modernization and Regional Development Sarawak (MANRED), Mr. Maclaine Ben @ Martin Ben, Chairman of Padi Beras Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) Cum Batang Lupar Member of Parliament, Dato Sri Hajah Rohani Binti Abdul Karim, Deputy Secretary General (Management) of MAFI, Datuk Badrul Hisham Bin Mohd, Director General of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Dato ‘Dr. Mohamad Zabawi Bin Abdul Ghani.
Through the acquisition of the operation of the Stumbin Legal Paddy Seed Factory (SPPC), Sri Aman, Sarawak by Syarikat Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS) on a conditional lease, is expected to increase the country’s legal paddy seed production.
The plant was built in 2012 and was completed in 2014. It has the capacity to produce seeds of 2 metric tons (MT) per hour. The optimum capacity is 600 MT.
Rice cultivation in Sarawak is traditional with traditional rice varieties. The majority of paddy fields that use modern varieties of paddy seeds are in Batang Lupar. A total of 196 hectares of paddy fields in Batang Lupar already have complete irrigation infrastructure to the tertiary level while another 1,200 hectares have secondary irrigation infrastructure only.
The main goal to be achieved through this MAFI-BERNAS collaboration is to ensure that SPPC Stumbin’s operations become more viable and sustainable for the long term. This is also part of MAFI’s efforts with BERNAS in improving the productivity of the country’s paddy in line with the SMART Large-Scale Paddy Fields Program (SMART SBB).
In this regard, BERNAS plans to operate the SBB SMART Program around 1,000 hectares in Sarawak. In view of the lack of suitable paddy mills to accommodate large-scale paddy production in Sarawak, for the long term, it is proposed that the SPPC Stumbin Factory be upgraded to a Shopping Center and commercial paddy mill. Systematic operation efforts by
BERNAS is one of the first steps in creating a large-scale modern rice granary in Sarawak.
Until March, the SBB SMART Program in Sarawak is being implemented under the supervision of the Batang Lupar Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) in collaboration with Syarikat Peneraju Advansia (Sarawak) Sdn. Bhd. involving an area of 60 hectares in L2 and L3 Tanjung Bijat, Sri Aman for the Main Season of 2021 and Off-Season of 2022. The program involves a total of 245 participants for both seasons is expected to increase farmers’ income up to 50 percent through infrastructure facilities and complete farm mechanization.
Several other areas under the supervision of IADA Batang Lupar are also being worked on by BERNAS involving an estimated area of 35 hectares with 79 farmers are seen as having the potential to further expand the SBB SMART Program in Sarawak.
MAFI will continue to redouble the efforts of SBB’s SMART program to attract more private investment to make the country’s paddy and rice industry more dynamic and competitive. The involvement of the private sector in the country’s paddy and rice industry is very important to inject new spirit into this industry with the maximum possible source of capital funding while optimizing the use of resources and improving the efficiency of cultivation activities and post-harvest production.
SBB’s SMART program, which is one of the new directions for the country’s paddy and rice industry, will continue to help increase productivity in achieving the rice SSL set during the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP).
