PADI FARMERS REMINDED NOT TO USE UNREGISTERED SEEDS

PUTRAJAYA, May 16 (Bernama) -- Padi farmers in the country are reminded not to use illegal seeds or those not registered under the Padi Seedling Verification Scheme (SPBP).

Agriculture Director-General Datuk Nor Sam Alwi said the use of illegal or illegally imported padi seeds was strictly prohibited and constituted an offence under the Control of Paddy and Rice Act 1994 (Act 522), the Plant Quarantine Act 1976, and the Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981.

“Under this act, illegally imported padi seeds may be confiscated and any rice crops grown from them can be destroyed if they fail to comply with any provisions of the act,” she said in a statement today.

Nor Sam said the SPBP involved a stringent control process, beginning with seeds and foundation seeds produced by breeders, through registered and certified padi seeds produced by authorised producers, prior to distribution to farmers.

She said the process under the scheme was implemented by the Agriculture Department to certify the genetic purity and identity of seed varieties, as well as the quality of seeds produced by authorised producers.

Nor Sam said the use of unregistered padi seed varieties such as ‘Chinese Hybrid’, ‘Indonesian Hybrid’, ‘85-Day Padi’, and ‘Taiwan Padi’, which were frequently sold and planted without official control, was worrying.

She said the unregistered varieties had not undergone verification for genetic purity, disease resistance, or suitability to the local climate.

Nor Sam said the lack of scientific verification could expose crops to greater risks from fungal, bacterial and insect infestations, particularly during unpredictable weather conditions.

“The main risk is that when these illegal varieties are not disease-free, they can become a source of infection that spreads to nearby padi fields, threatening overall production. This could result in lower yields and lead to a shortage in the country’s rice supply,” she said.

--BERNAMA