The government has injected more than $2.76 billion into the local rice industry, providing direct financial assistance to 5,106 rice farmers across the country as part of its First Crop 2026 Support Programme.

During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha described the initiative as another demonstration of the government’s commitment to safeguarding the sector during a period of lower global rice prices.

“To date, we have paid out to 5,106 farmers, a total of $2,763,249,165. That gives us a total acreage of 234,919.96 acres that were cultivated for the first crop,” Minister Mustapha said.