The giant freshwater prawn farming project in the paddy fields at Felcra Seberang Perak, is not part of the large-scale Smart Paddy Field Project (Smart SBB) said the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry.
In a statement today, it said they are "two different initiatives", stressing that the Smart SBB implementation strategy has not changed.
Smart SBB is a large-scale paddy field consolidation programme to increase productivity through optimal utilisation and efficient resource management as well as to increase farmers' income. It is a strategic collaboration between the public, private sectors and several leading companies.
According to the ministry, the 1.08ha giant prawn farming project is a pilot project through the cooperation of the Seberang Perak Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) and a private company that aims to increase farmers' income as well as reap profits from paddy cultivation.
The ministry was commenting on the statement by Pertubuhan Persaudaraan Pesawah Malaysia (Pesawah) and Food Security and Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) which had on Aug 3 rejected the Smart SBB programme.
Pesawah and FKMM also claimed that if the paddy fields are turned into ponds for prawn cultivation this could invite other problems such as soil and water pollution, and the land would no longer be suitable as paddy fields when the lease period ends.
The ministry said through Smart SBB, the farmers act as the government’s main partners and the ministry would always hold engagement sessions with stakeholders to ensure that the initiative could be implemented effectively to achieve the desired objectives.
It added that Smart SBB would enable farmers to enjoy better yield by up to 191 percent per tonne a year and an annual income value of up to 47 percent through an increase in the national average yield per hectare from the current average yield of 3.5 to 7.0 tonnes.
The initiative will also enable the implementation of new practices through modern agricultural concepts such as soil profiling system, smart farming, new technological methods or internet of things (IoT) in line with Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) to increase yields per hectare, it said.
The Smart SBB programme is implemented by departments and agencies under the ministry, namely the Department of Agriculture Malaysia, Farmers Organisation Authority, Muda Agricultural Development Authority, Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority and IADA which act as the programme coordinators.
- Bernama
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