Four new rice granaries established since 2015 — Tajuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry developed four new rice granaries since 2015 as part of the efforts to increase rice production in the country and reduce dependence on imported rice, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.

Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said the Integrated Agricultural Development Area ( IADA), established in Pekan and Rompin in Pahang, Batang Lupar in Sarawak and Kota Belud in Sabah, produced about 114,000 tonnes of rice annually at the rate of productivity of 4.6 tonnes per hectare.

He said mechanisation and automation technologies were utilised to increase production and reduce post-harvest losses by focusing on the post-harvest chain activities such as harvesting, storage, transportation and milling.

“The project development in the four IADA began in 2015 and will be completed in stages up to 2020, involving over 25,000 hectares,” he said when replying to a question from Idris Ahmad ( PAS-Bukit Gantang) who had wanted to know the volume of import of basic foods and the measures taken to reduce the country’s dependence on imported foodstuff.

Tajuddin said that last year, the country imported 747,671 tonnes of rice valued at RM1.30 billion.

Besides rice, the other major imported foods were animal feed (valued at RM6.67 billion), vegetables ( RM5.10 billion), fish, crustaceans, molluscs and their preparations ( RM3.82 billion), fruits ( RM3.73 billion) as well as meat and meat preparations (RM3.43 billion), he added.

Additionally, he said, the ministry also implemented various agro-food projects with high growth potential, such as aquaculture, seaweed, swiftlet nests, herbal products, fruits and vegetables, and premium processed foods through the National Key Economic Areas programme. — Bernama