Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government provides a subsidy of approximately RM350 per metric tonne for Imported White Rice (BPI) supplied to Sabah, said Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
He said this in the Dewan Negara, Tuesday, in response to a question from Senator Datuk Edward Linggu Bukut on the supply of white rice in Sabah.
Chan said the subsidy results in the average price of imported white rice in Sabah being around RM24-25 per kilogramme, which is lower than in the peninsula.
“At the same time, efforts are being strengthened to increase local paddy production in Sabah,” he said.
He added that the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) Kota Belud, an agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), continues to enhance its strategic role in contributing to the State’s rice self-sufficiency rate (SSR) through the SMART Large-Scale Padi Field Programme (SMART SBB).
“In 2024, padi production in Kota Belud reached 37,182 metric tonnes per year with an average yield of 4.2 metric tonnes per hectare,” he said.
Chan said this represented a 45 per cent increase compared to 2019, which recorded 25,597 metric tonnes per year with an average yield of 2.9 tonnes per hectare.
