PEKAN: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah officiated the Ala Sekinchan Large-Scale Smart Paddy Field (SMART SBB) Programme at the Permatang Durian Water User Group (KPA), Merchong Scheme here on Monday (Jan 22).

       Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, Tengku Arif Bendahara Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri'ayatuddin Shah and Tengku Panglima Perang Tengku Ahmad Ismail Mu'adzam Shah were also in attendance.

       Also present at the ceremony held at Kampung Merchong Mosque were Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

       During the programme, Al-Sultan Abdullah took some time to visit an exhibition, observe the Ala Sekinchan paddy cultivation technique and operate a transplanter machine.

       Launched in May 2023, the Ala Sekinchan SMART SBB programme implements high-yield agricultural practices using the "Knowledge, Attitude and Practice" approach.

       The programme also aims to increase farmers' income by enhancing productivity by applying good practices adopted by farmers in Sekinchan, Selangor.

       In Pahang, the new farming model is supervised by the Pekan Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA) in collaboration with a leading company in the Merchong Scheme, covering an area of 4,134 hectares with 1,716 farmers.

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       There are 10 KPA under the Merchong Scheme, and the project will primarily focus on the Permatang Durian KPA. The project's first phase will involve 84 participants covering a cultivation area of 168 hectares. – Bernama