Sarawak paddy update separates RM2.5 billion repair need from approved works
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Only 11 per cent of the 9,900 hectares in Sarawak’s existing paddy schemes is being cultivated, according to an Oct 20 ministerial update that puts infrastructure rehabilitation needs at RM2.5 billion.
That figure is the stated repair requirement, not the amount of new funding approved. Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Dr Stephen Rundi Utom told the State Legislative Assembly that 23 infrastructure projects covering about 2,997 hectares have been approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan for RM136.9 million. Sarawak is financing 21 projects worth RM122.9 million, with RM14 million from the federal government for two others.
The existing schemes are managed by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage. Rundi said deteriorating infrastructure limits their use and that annual maintenance needs amount to RM60 million. Restoring cultivated land is part of the effort to reach 60 per cent rice self-sufficiency by 2030; the target is not the present level of supply.
Separately, 10 large-scale paddy projects covering 3,460 hectares are at different implementation stages, with phased completion expected from 2027. Infrastructure at Tanjung Purun and Lubok Punggor is expected to finish in 2027 before planting can proceed. For Sarawak consumers, those dates describe future production capacity, not rice already reaching the market.
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