Building resilient padi farming to strengthen Malaysia's food security

STRENGTHENING the nation's food security involves not only producing more food, but also building a resilient domestic agricultural ecosystem that can sustain farmers and domestic supply over the long term.

In the padi fields of Kedah and Perlis, a partnership involving some 200 farmers is showing how stronger links between agriculture and domestic manufacturing can contribute to that effort.

Through the Nestle Paddy Club (NPC), farmers cultivate more than 600ha of padi.

Since 2012, 100 per cent of the white rice used in Nestle's Cerelac infant cereals, produced in Malaysia, has been sourced domestically.

The programme is expected to supply about 2,800 tonnes of rice this year.

Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd chief executive officer Juan Aranols said the programme reflected the company's focus on ingredient quality and its partnership with Malaysia's farming communities.

"Cerelac is an important brand because it is part of the nutrition we provide for babies aged 6 to 12 months. We apply all necessary care and quality requirements to ensure only the best ingredients go into the product.

"Rice is an important ingredient. We are here in the rice bowl of Malaysia, so we are proud to be partners with the local authorities and farming community," he said.

Beyond securing high-quality domestically grown rice, the programme also supports farmers to improve the way they farm.

NPC farmers get agricultural inputs every planting season, alongside knowledge and training, technical guidance in the field and support to improve crop quality.

The programme connects the rice they produce to Nestle's domestic manufacturing value chain. Participating farmers have consistently recorded yields above the national average.

For participant Bahriza Rejab, aged 53, the programme has changed the way he manages his crops.

"I'm a full-time padi farmer and have been in the industry for 30 years... The rice we produce is used to make baby food, so we don't want to use chemical pesticides.

"Nestle provides us with organic products from the time we sow the seeds until harvest. I'm fortunate because it provides them for free. The company also guide us in managing our crops to ensure that the rice we produce meets the requirements for baby food."

Fellow NPC farmer Sabri Nayan, 59, said the programme has encouraged more environmentally conscious farming practices.

"When we work with Nestle, we are taught and guided to care for the environment. When we use pesticides, we do not use just any product.

"The vitamins they provide are of high quality, and the silica helps strengthen the roots and support healthy growth. When the stems are stronger, the plants are more resistant to disease, resulting in healthier padi crops."

FROM FARM RESILIENCE TO FOOD SECURITY

The focus is now shifting towards making farming more resilient.

Healthier soils, more efficient farming practices and stronger farmer capabilities can help sustain yields, reduce production risks and better withstand climate and cost pressures.

In turn, this supports a more dependable domestic food supply.

A regenerative agriculture project for NPC farmers commenced in June, focusing on improving soil health, using water more efficiently, optimising agricultural inputs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation.

The programme is also promoting practices such as Semi-Aerobic Rice Intensification and alternate wetting and drying.

KEEPING THE VALUE CHAIN LOCAL

After harvest, rice produced by NPC farmers is processed locally through milling, quality testing and manufacturing.

The process includes mechanical drying, storage, de-husking and several stages of polishing.

Rice samples undergo contaminant testing, microbiological analysis and chemical analysis to ensure they meet stringent quality and food safety requirements for infant nutrition.

Traceability is maintained throughout the journey from farm to finished product.

For farmers, this creates a direct link between what is grown in the fields of Kedah and Perlis and a domestically manufactured food product, while helping to build a reliable domestic supply of a key agricultural ingredient.

Padi is also part of Nestle Malaysia's wider domestic agricultural sourcing efforts under its Farmer Connect initiatives, which extend to chilli, coffee and cocoa.

For the NPC farmers, the benefits are felt on the ground: better crops, stronger livelihoods and the ability to continue farming from one season to the next.