To tackle the problem of low rice production, the 2013 National Budget has allocated RM140 million to develop four rice granaries including one in Kota Belud along with the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) and Economic Initiation Programme (EPP) II.
This is half the target set by the government at 60 percent SSL. Sabah currently imports approximately 70 percent of its rice requirements, around 220,000 tonnes a year with an estimated cost of more than RM1 billion.
A joint initiative between the state and federal government to transform Kota Belud into a rice granary. A total of 800 ha have been allocated to the Kota Belud Padi Estate “rice bowl” project, which is being rolled out following an agreement signed in November between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry and the Kota Belud Farmers’ Organisation.
The project falls under the umbrella of the broader National Key Economic Area initiative, which aims to increase the average production of rice grain for each farmer to 8.5 metric tonnes per ha by 2020. Hopes are high that the ''rice bowl'' initiative, which also offers incentives valued at RM1.6m ($530,000), could produce its first harvests supposedly by this May.
Spearheading the Sabah Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said in order to boost rice production in the state they will be outlining six strategies which includes the implementation of rice paddy plantation with a target of 4,500 hectares on a commercial scale to produce 5.5 metric tons per hectare by 2018 at a cost of RM305 million by then.
By 2020 a total of 5,000 hectares will be developed at a cost of RM340 million to grow rice twice a year and this is expected to increase the yield from 5.0 tons per hectare, with the main goal of the ministry to achieve an adequacy level of 60 percent for the state itself he said.
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