ALOR SETAR: Kedah aims to become a leading producer of padi seeds to boost the state’s rice production and improve farmers’ income, said State Agriculture, Plantation, and Transport Committee chairman Dzowahir Ab Ghani.

He emphasized that this initiative also aims to eliminate issues related to cartels and the supply of low-quality seeds, which have long burdened rice farmers.

“As part of this effort, a 20.2-hectare site in Pendang has been designated as a research facility to test and develop high-quality padi seed varieties,“ he said.

Dzowahir stressed that the government is committed to supporting farmers, noting that the average monthly income of rice farmers is currently below RM500.

He made these remarks at an iftar organized by the Kedah Swiftlet Association yesterday.

Dzowahir said the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

Meanwhile, he added that Kedah is also committed to supporting swiftlet nest operators in boosting productivity and ensuring the industry remains resilient to meet the demands of key importing countries, including China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

He noted that 106 swiftlet nest operators have registered with the Veterinary Services Department.