Nestle Malaysia strengthens support for paddy farmers
Faiqah Kamaruddin
Nestle Malaysia has significantly bolstered its support for paddy farmers in Malaysia since 2012, investing over RM6 million in its Nestle Paddy Club (NPC). CEO Juan Aranols detailed the investment's scope, emphasizing not just monetary aid but also the dissemination of improved farming techniques, agricultural inputs, machinery, and technical expertise.
The program currently engages around 200 farmers across 475 hectares in Kedah and Perlis, with the 2026 planting season projected to supply 2,800-3,000 tonnes of rice for Nestle's Cerelac infant cereals. NPC farmers have consistently outperformed the national average, achieving yields of 5.4 tonnes per hectare in the January-February 2025 harvest and 4.96 tonnes per hectare in August-September 2025, in contrast to the national average of about four tonnes per hectare.
For farmer Md Nasir, the program offers technical guidance, pesticides, vitamins, and machinery like paddy harvesters and tractors. He highlighted that crop losses from natural disasters are typically covered by Mada, the Muda Agricultural Development Authority. Zalifah, another farmer, noted that the program has enhanced her productivity and income, with her yield increasing to around two tonnes per plot from 1.5 tonnes previously and her income rising to more than RM3,000 per plot from RM2,000.
Nestle Malaysia's business executive for nutrition, Yeoh She Shiang, explained that the program was initiated to secure premium-quality rice for Cerelac, ensuring it meets stringent quality and safety standards suitable for infant nutrition. The company's commitment to sustainability is evident as farmers now adopt the Semi-Aerobic Rice Intensification method, reducing water usage by 30% to 40% without compromising productivity.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
