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SERDANG: The government is planning several mega projects in the agricultural sector, including the first phase of a large-scale paddy cultivation initiative, with a total project value of RM5 billion, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the project aims to boost paddy yields and improve the livelihoods of local farmers.

“KPKM (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security) is focusing on increasing the nation’s rice production. This is crucial for enhancing the welfare of our farmers and ensuring food security,” he said in his speech at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (Maha) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here today.

Also present were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and his deputy Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup.

Anwar emphasised the need for all ministries and agencies to work as a cohesive team to ensure that the nation’s food production targets are met.

The prime minister also acknowledged the challenge of rallying farmers, rice growers and fishermen to embrace these changes and adapt to the upcoming transformation in the agricultural sector.

“The key challenge is how to engage the farming communities, especially the paddy planters and fishermen, to embrace this transformation and significantly increase their yields,” he said.

In May, Anwar announced that the government would increase its funding to upgrade irrigation systems in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) region to implement a five-season paddy planting project within two years.

The expansion of the programme will cover an additional 30,000 hectares of land in Mada areas, which will be developed in stages.

Themed ‘Menuai Harapan Membina Masa Hadapan’, Maha 2024 runs for 12 days from Sept 11 and is expected to attract three million visitors, while securing RM6 billion in MoU agreements and RM40 million in direct sales.