BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry will continue to monitor companies that participated in the Large-Scale Smart Field programme (Smart SBB) to ensure that padi farmers can optimise productivity and increase revenue.

       Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (pic) said the public-private smart partnership has proven that it could benefit padi farmers in terms of income and productivity of the padi output.

       "This programme has proven that participants in the initiative have lesser involvement from middlemen in the supply chain.

       "Farmers are able to sell their crops to be processed at rice factories without having to worry about having their income affected," he told a press conference at Koperasi Kerjaya Permatang Nibong Pulau Pinang Berhad on Tuesday (May 17).

       Kiandee said he was confident that the smart partnership would increase the yields of rice output through efficient farm management and that the initiative would continue to be adopted.

       Earlier, he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between five leading companies and the federal government to develop 942ha of padi fields in the state.

       A total of 420 farmers will be involved in the programme which will be supervised by the state Integrated Agriculture Development Authority.

       The public-private strategic partnership, which started in Feb last year, has successfully been implemented in Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak with more than 19 companies participating in the programme.

       With the participation of five companies in Penang, there are now a total of 24 involved in the programme.

       In the same event, Padiberas Nasional Bhd and Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan Pokok Sena also signed the Smart SBB programme management agreement.

       On a separate matter, Kiandee said the ministry would introduce more padi variants that could withstand the southwest monsoon in an effort to help padi farmers during the season.

       He also said several funds could be utilised to assist padi farmers in lessening their burden as a result of the seasonal monsoon.