SUNGAI BESAR: The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) has developed a new variety of specialty rice called MARDIRiceAroma (MARIA) which is said to mature faster and yield more compared to earlier varieties.
Agriculture and Food Industries Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee, said the hybrid variety, also known as MRQ103, is a cross between the MRQ89 and MRQ50, and took 13 years to develop at a cost of nearly RM1 million.
He said MARIA, which grows to a height of 105cm, can be harvested in 117 - 120 days and yields over five metric tonnes per hectare. Whereas older varieties take more than 120 days to ripen, grow to about 119cm high and produce less per hectare.
“This variety also has medium resistance to rice blast disease and the brown planthopper, and is moderately vulnerable to bacterial and web blight, as well as tungro disease,” he told reporters at an event to introduce MARIA at Plot Petani Parit 1 Timur, here, today.
MARIA is a long, slender, aromatic and medium-amylose rice. It is also non-sticky, has a low glycaemic index and is a good option for diabetics, said Kiandee.
He said high demand for aromatic rice motivated MARDI to create 53 varieties of rice encompassing “40 normal varieties, 12 specialty rice and one hybrid variety.
“A change in lifestyle and socioeconomic status in the past decade in Malaysia contributed to the rise in demand for high quality and healthy aromatic rice,” he said.
Kiandee said that Syarikat Padi Pukal Parit 7 (Sekincan) Sdn Bhd has obtained the exclusive licence for MARIA production in a smart partnership with MARDI.
Kiandee also said that his ministry distributes MARDI’s GENKiMO fertiliser to three area farmers' organisations (PPK) in Sungai Besar which proved to increase paddy yield by 25 per cent after research was conducted in Sekinchan in Selangor, Kampung Sungai Rambai in Melaka, Tanjung Tualang in Perlis and Kampung Wasan in Brunei.-Bernama
