KENINGAU: Sabah aims to raise its rice Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) to about 30 per cent by 2030 by reopening abandoned paddy fields and leveraging modern agricultural technology, according to Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.

Speaking at a Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) event here on Saturday, Jamawi said the state’s current SSL stands at roughly 19 per cent, leaving Sabah heavily dependent on imports from countries like Vietnam and Thailand amid global supply uncertainties.

He explained that reopening 2,000 of the state’s 4,000 hectares of abandoned paddy land, combined with boosting yields from three to up to six tonnes per hectare over five years using drones and mechanisation, will drive the increase.

Addressing irrigation shortages in Keningau, Jamawi noted that the State Government has restored systems at Kepayan Baru and Penagatan while calling for stricter enforcement against nearby quarrying operations that damage water intake structures.

He added that inspections will be conducted in other affected areas, including Bingkor and the Bumburing II Scheme, where irrigation rehabilitation work is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.

Published Date: August 2, 2026