BALIK PULAU, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- A ratoon rice pilot project in Balik Pulau has achieved early success with a second harvest, proving that the "plant once, harvest twice" method has potential under local growing conditions.
Penang Chinese Entrepreneurs Association (PCEA) president Dr Lee Eng Wah said the project, piloted in early 2025 with state government support and cooperation from related agencies, is a significant step in adapting ratoon rice technology to local conditions while exploring new approaches to raising yields and incomes in the agricultural sector.
“The first planting of the local MR333 variety last May yielded 7.1 tonnes per hectare at the first harvest on Aug 19. The total second harvest will only be determined once harvesting is complete.
"In the coming season, we will try a different local variety to see which gives better yields. We expect the project to expand from two hectares currently to 20 hectares," he told reporters after the verification ceremony for the Ratoon Rice Pilot Project Plot Test Results at the project site in Jalan Sungai Nipah here today.
Earlier, he accompanied Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on a visit to review the project's latest progress. Also present were state Rural Development, Agro-technology, Food Security and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman Datuk Rashidi Zinol and Chinese Consul-General in Penang Zhou Youbin.
Lee said ratoon rice yields from the project still lag significantly behind those recorded in China due to constraints such as drainage systems, irrigation schedules and more suitable harvesting machinery.
He said existing harvesters are relatively heavy and risk damaging the stubble after the first harvest, affecting regrowth and subsequent yields.
All inputs, including seeds and fertiliser, are locally sourced, while the ratoon rice technology and planting methods are adapted from China in collaboration with experts from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU).
Lee said the association is also exploring the possibility of bringing in varieties from China, subject to procedures and approval from the authorities, and working with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) to select or improve existing varieties to raise yields.
Meanwhile, Chow said the pilot project proves the ratoon rice method can be applied and produce harvests under local conditions, although yields have yet to reach levels recorded in Fujian, China.
"For me, today's visit proves this method can be used. If we want to implement it on a wider scale, we need to address issues such as fertiliser, seeds, machinery, drainage and the need to reschedule the planting season," he said.
Chow said the state government is prepared to continue supporting the project, including helping to provide smaller, lighter harvesting machinery, and to look at the method's potential to raise the country's rice self-sufficiency level and reduce dependence on imports.
-- BERNAMA