Subsidies on imported rice are seen as a waste of money when technology can double the current yield of local rice production.
An economist says continuous rice production, instead of two harvests a year, could help to end the need to import rice.
Continuous farming could ensure ample rice production within just three to four months, he said. Malaysia’s rice farms currently harvest rice twice a year. Barjoyai said concerns about Malaysia’s food security were raised a decade ago, but successive governments failed to deal with the problem. However, it was adopted in Kelantan for a pilot project that yielded approximately 12 tonnes of rice per hectare.
“The government should not waste money unnecessarily on subsidies because it would have to adjust and reallocate funds from other areas, and that’s not right,” Barjoyai said.