KOTA KINABALU: A padi growing project organised by an NGO among farmers is re-igniting interest among traditional Sabah farmers in padi planting.

       In Tuaran district, the special “Padi Project” has helped the communities of Kampung Lapasan Ulu and Kampung Tinuhan overcome poverty and provided them with the potential to increase their income in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       The project, which was initiated last year by Forever Sabah, has reported higher returns of up to 240% and yield with the production of 28 tonnes of rice, according to a statement by the NGO.

       The project was made possible with support from the Sabah Drainage and Irrigation Department and a special grant from Yayasan Hasanah through funds provided by the federal Finance Ministry.

       Forever Sabah chief facilitator Cynthia Ong said three quarters of farmers in Kampung Tinuhan in the Tenhilan area of Tuaran achieved rice self-sufficiency and had additional stocks of rice for sale.

       They have also created “Wagas Dati”, a brand of rice that’s grown organically and sustainably, and launched it on March 23.

       Two tonnes of rice worth RM30,000 were sold this year and more farmers are now eager to grow organic padi as this earns them RM3,000 more per acre than farming with chemicals, she said.

       Some of the farmers involved explained that the younger generation had given up on traditional padi farming as the cost was much higher than buying rice imported from Vietnam, Thailand or India.

       Saimah Malas, a 61-year-old Dusun woman from Kampung Tinuhan, said that her participation in the project has increased her yield to 2,260kg of padi through 11 different kinds of rice with different properties and tastes.

       The project has enabled Saimah to maintain a consistent rice stock to feed her family with surplus for sale to meet her household needs, including hiring additional labour to manage her padi fields.

       According to Ong, all the farmers involved are eager to continue on during the coming planting season with another 60 neighbouring farmers now expressing interest to join the project.

       The Sabah government is continuing its 30-year effort to reach 60% self-sufficiency in rice production, which currently stands at around 23%.