MALAYSIAN RICE YIELD IS ONE OF HIGHEST IN TROPICAL ASIA

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 19

MALAYSIAN RICE YIELD IS ONE OF HIGHEST IN TROPICAL ASIA

c NAnONAL G DAY 20th Year of Independence

\t pi esent. th* hope of dchiev ing self-sufficiencv m rice production in Malaysia depends basically on 'the existing cultivated area of rice fields. With an average production of 2.7 tons of padi per hectare per crop, this yield stands out as one of the highest obtained bv any one country in Tropical However, in spite of the higfi xields obtained, production of rice is observed to be still insufficient to meet the domestic consumption needs of the country. In 1971 for instance, the production of 990.000 tons of milled rice in Peninsular Malaysia was 88 per cent of consumption for a popu lation of 9.6 million. However, when considered together with the states of Sabah and Sarawak, where the over-all total population then was about 12 million, the production actually approximates to only 80 per cent of consumption. To be completely self-suf-ficient in food supply is obviously a fundamental aim r>f most, if not all, of the developing countries of Asia. And naturally, being the staple food of this region, rice is receiving high priority and support of the Government. In this respect, effort by the Government of Malaysia to realise self-suffi-ciency in rice embraces one of the most elaborate agri- < ultural policies, the general objectives of which have been (i) to support farm incomes. (ii) to promote rice production, and (iii) to ensure consumers of qualityrice at reasonable prices and at minimum cost to the Government. This emphasis on increasing local rice production should, however, also be viewed against the hardships endured during difficult times when imports of rice are not possible. Furthermore, with occasional uncertaimties in prices of rubber. a major revenue of the nation there has always been the urgent need to diversify the economy. But it is also to be noted that part of the diversification is to replace imports for the home market, a relatively large part of which still exists. However, above all, increasing rice production is largely aimed at improving the living standards of the cadi erowing communitv.

This primary consideration for economic development and enhancing the income of the farmers constitutes one of the most important facets of the nation’s new economit policy which is geared to alleviating rural poverty as well as ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth. It has particular significance since rice cultivation tn Malaysia involves a large proportion of the country's working population. In Peninsular Malaysia alone it is estimated that some 300.000 farmers (approximately 20 per cent of the working population) are dependent on rice cultivation for their livelihood. Among these, the majority of the farms range from one to three hectares with an average of li hectares per holding. Only about 3 per cent of the holdings are above 5 hectares. For many decades, rice farming used to be one of the most depressed sectors of the country But over the last 10 vears. the. economic

position of rice farmers has improved considerabh after the implementation by the Government of several programmes that reach out toI wards self-sufficiency. One of the most significant proi grammes is the provision of i irrigation facilities designed for double cropping rice. This is because under normal conditions, the provision of adequate irrigation water during the dry season is not always possible in view of the adverse physical conditions. Many of the Malaysian rivers are too short. The catchment areas are relatively small and therefoer the flow of water in these rivers follows the rainfall pattern. During the dry months, such flows are generally low and water storage is poor. To overcome this, provision of perennial irrigation system through the construction of huge storage dams or pumping of water from the lower reaches of major rivers seems necessary. Such a task was soon se; in motion by the Government. This has allowed the change-over from the 'traditional single crop, hence ■not only ensuring a doubling jin rice production but also 1 higher incomes for the tithe lower reaches of major rivers seems necessary Such a task was soon set in mo- , tion by the Government. [This has allowed the changeover from the traditional single crop, hence not only ensuring a doubling in rice production but also ploughing in higher incomes for the farmers. As a result of the expansion of double cropping from 3645 hectares tc 190.880 hectares, rice production in Peninsular Malaysia has been steadily and i rapidly jacked up from 524,000 tons in 1957 to 990.000 tons in 1971. This represents a marked increase in production percentage to consumption from 63 per cent to 88 per cent for the 'same period. The achievement is all the more remarkable in that the voluminous ' increase was obtained without any significant expansion in the land area cull tivated. Certainly, double 'cropping constitutes a major ■strut in the forward stride I towards self-sufficiency in rice by the country. Today, double cropping facilities are already accesi sible to a large sector of the t farmers. Within the next [ few years, many more would > enjoy this opportunity as , several irrigation schemes. - now in various stages of imI piementation and located in the major rice bowls of Ke- ■ lantan, Trengganu. Perlis, f Kedah, Province Wellesley, HKrian, Southern Perak and ■ Selangor, draw near their , completion. ’ Among the irrigation • schemes, that of Muda in - the north-western states and 1 Kemubu in the east are the s most extensive and are geni erally held in great pride by ) the nation. The Muda Irriga- • tion Project is so immense that it would provide ade- ■ quate irriga.ion water to 3 enable double-cropping ol if more than 130,000 hectares r,-of padi fields in the states r of Kedah and Perlis when s completed. This scheme is administered by the Muda : Agricultural Development f Authority (MADA). and s 'covers about 106.190 hece tares in area. Beginning from Kangar in the state of

> Perlis, it extends down the • south to Guar Chempedak in s Kedah. In this scheme alone, - rice cultivation takes up 77 - per cent of the land and inj'volves about 50,000 farm - 'families. ’ f ’ One of the most impresi'sive designs of the Muda ..project is the construction ■ of two huge dams — the i i'Muda Dam and the Pedu r Dam which stolidly stride i across the upper reaches of fthe Muda river and Pedu - river respectively. With a -surface area of 2590 hectares for the Muda reservoir. ’and 6475 hectares for -the Pedu reservoir, i;they pool a total storage capacity of about 1375 million •'litres of water. Linking these reservoirs is 5 a 7.5 kilometres long tunnel. • This enables the transfer of

I the water impounded in the ® Muda reservoir to that of Pedu Dam which re-1 ’ leases the water ultimately! s !into a 101.7 kilometres main' ' canal. And from the main; canal an intricate system of r ; branch canals and disI I tributaries that total 9401 '! kilometres feeds the irriga-; •Ition water to the rice fields. In the eastern region, the] ' Ketnubu scheme operates on: a slightly smaller scale. Patterned after MADA, it is| administered by the Kemubu; Agricultural Development! Authority (KADA). Today, a; - little behind the Mudu Pro- ( > ject, this scheme is pro-! o grossing steadily. In its reach for self-suffi-i - ciency, the Government has! 1 recently embarked on an-1 1 other major step. Beginning! 3 in the last quarter of 1975,; s ,a system of intensified cultivation involving five crops ; 3 ■ in two years was launched! r in the Sekincang District. By; e ! squeezing successive ■ ting closely, an additional j ■ harvest could be obtained.] 5 Success of this scheme * would certainly see other ‘ rice areas adopting similar ■ practices. On a national e scale, this would undoubtr edly bring the country to s more than just selfy sufficiency. Apart from the provision i:of an adequate supply of -; water, other problems need el also to be resolved before t growing more than one crop d per year is possible. Availas bility of : uitable rice plants . that will mature in a much - shorter nme than traditional t varieties becomes necessary. ■ Research is therefore neededi .. not only to breed for such materials but also to look d into the many other requirerlments. The high priority accorded to nee research is n thus not surprising. Today, n rice research in Malaysia is d manned by a complete team e of scientists representing the i. major research disciplines, y and falls within the juris- . diction of the Malaysian e Agriculture Research and . Development Institute, an □ institution recently erected ,f to accelerate agricultural res search in the country. s The breeding and release n of two rice hybrids — Mas linja in 1964 and Mahsuri in a 1965 — constitute a major t milestone not only for rice d research, but also towards - increased rice production. Of g short maturation while posf sessing good grain quality

and higher yields, they have helped greatly in the sue-! cessful expansion of double, cropping. Subsequently, with each successive release — Ria and Bahagi prior to, 11968. and more recently Sri j ; Malaysia I and Sri Malaysia; 111 — the yield production isl further increased. Since, •1957. it has steeply climbed! from 2241.8 kilogram, •per hectare to more than ,5604.5 kilogram per hec-j !tare in the recent varieties.’ This certainty is a remark-! able achievement which none can deny. The development of such' high yielding varieties is! I even more significant when one notes that appreciable physical expansion of acre-; age under rice cultivation is i 'most unlikely. Unless properly controlled,

the ravages of pests and diseases could prevent reaching j self-sufficiency. Intensive re- | search efforts in crop projection have recently helped ’in counteracting most of I these agents. Today, besides the availability of suitable j chemical pesticides, the new rice varieties recommended Ito farmers usually have re-; Isistance to the major pests’ land diseases. A good harvest! that is free of attack can! {now be better assured. I To ensure that increased; rice production can be I ’smoothly achieved and the, additional harvest optimatelyl exploited, the Government is simultaneously introducing and encouraging farm mechlanisation. The use of modern! ; cultivation machineries for I ploughing, harvesting and icleaning are made readily, accessible to fanners. Fur-’ ithermore, expensive in-! Ifrastructures of all-weather

■farm roads are laid down to facilitate the transport of • farm produce. 1 At the same time, drying 'complexes are established *o : ensure rapid drying before being stored or disposed of ’in the open market. Under 'the responsibility of the ’National Padi and Rice ' Authority, sixteen drying ’complexes are planned, each 1 ’ with a capacity to hold 110,000 tons per season. By March, 1972 the strong Govjernment support, had seen ''seven of these complexes al- ! ready in operation while i others were in various; stages of construction. , In a further effort to push ’ higher the level of grain re- | turns, the Government is ! currently negotiating assistance in post-harvest tech,nology from Australia i through the AustralianlA.S.E.A.N. aid programmes. ; Negotiations to date have been most encouraging. ; While the physical facilities are being made availiable, at the farm level the .{farmers are getting reorga- , ’ nised to improve their pro•ductivity and incomes through group action. Under: I the newly formed Farmers, Organisation Authority, they! are able to recieve in an in-i ! tegrated manner credit reI sources and other farm limputs, and also undertake; : marketing. Meanwhile, an (expanded extension pro-1 jgramme by the Government ’through the Department of Agriculture ensures that 'technical knowledge to! : develop a sound farming; system for maximum pro-, j duction is directly provided Ito the farmers. In implementing the variious schemes and pro--1 grammes, careful planning and an efficient enforcement team are necessary. However. such an achievement I would not be possible without one other major factor — finance or credit for the'

farmers. This, however, isl readily forthcoming for at ’ the helm guiding it to sue-! cess is Bank Pertanian Ma-! laysia, helped of course by Bank Rakyat, Bank Bumi-| putra and all other commercial banks through mak-| ing loans easily available.. Its mam function is essentially to provide, co-ordinate, and supervise loans and; credit to farmers, mainly for; the purchase of farm equip-; ment, processing, storage, transportation and marketins of farm products. All the measures taken are in the interest of the farming com-! munity, especially in their reaping of the harvest and’ thus contributing to food sufficiency. In order to provide more; loans, the paid-up capital of the bank was increased from SMIO million to SM4O million last year. Between 1970-! 74. a total of SMI3 million loans have been approved.; For rice alone, the bank has! a revolving fund for its; credit scheme and to this’ has been allocated SMIO mil-! lion. A further allocation of SMIO million is presently; being considered. Under the Third Malaysia Plan begin-! ning in 1976' where the bank| hopes to obtain a SM3O mil-; lion loan from the World! Bank, an even greater support could surely be ex-; pected. Self-sufficiency in rice has! long been a dream of the nation. Now, after so many; years of experience in rice cultivation coupled with the complete backing and un-| sparing efforts by the Government on all available aspects to boost production to’ the maximum, there appears, no reason why self-suffi- ’ ciency could not soon become a reality. Until that propitious day, a whole nation and its peoples will, continue to push rice pro-i duction higher, striving; harder each day and with’ greater vigour.