Sook: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has introduced the Hill/Huma Padi Fertiliser and Pesticide Subsidy Scheme (SBRPB) for 2025, with the objective of enhancing hill and huma padi cultivation beyond the primary rice-producing regions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced a budget of RM42 million dedicated to Padi 4 compound and liquid urea fertilisers, complemented by RM11.4 million for liquid herbicides. This initiative, which commenced with the October planting season, is designed to benefit approximately 44,000 hectares of hill padi in the states of Sabah and Sarawak.
Minister Mohamad Sabu made this announcement during an engagement programme with local farmers, breeders, and fishermen at Dewan Kampung Johan Jaya in Sook. The event was also attended by Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup, Farmers Organisation Authority (LPP) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar, LPP director-general Amir Matamin, and National Farmers Organisation (NAFAS) general manager Muhammad Faris Arriffin.
Mohamad highlighted the strategic partnership with NAFAS, which is responsible for coordinating the supply and distribution of fertilisers and pesticides to qualifying farmers. He noted that while hill padi cultivation in Sabah remains largely traditional, the ministry's policy now aims to bolster these activities beyond the main rice-producing areas of Peninsular Malaysia.
The minister outlined the scheme's ambition to transition hill padi farming from subsistence-level activities to commercial, high-yield operations. This initiative reflects the government's dedication to alleviating farmers' financial burdens through continuous subsidies and incentives, alongside enhancing agricultural infrastructure.
The scheme aims to ensure that farmers nationwide are included in the broader scope of national development, with the hope of increasing yields, sustaining hill padi cultivation, strengthening rural economies, and ensuring a stable rice supply.
Additionally, Mohamad mentioned the ministry's consideration of establishing Keningau as the central hub for hill padi in Sabah, due to its fertile land. The vision is to elevate hill padi farming from personal use to commercial production of premium rice.
Mohamad's visit to the padi planting project in Kampung Biah, Sook, underscores the government's commitment to improving the area's irrigation systems and support infrastructure.
The programme also featured the MADANI Agro Sale, an initiative by LPP, the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), and the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM), offering products at discounts of up to 30 percent below market prices.