RICE CULTIVATION IN WEST MALAYSIA:

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RICE CULTIVATION IN WEST MALAYSIA

• Relationships between Culture, History,
  Customary Practices and Recent Developments
• By
• James C. Jackson

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Introduction

• Rice farming in West Malaysia has been
  characterized as traditional element of
  nations agricultural compared to more dynamic
  commercial sector.
• Traditional means
• i. produce only a single crop throughout
  the
• year ,
• ii. the sexual division of labour (men
  ploughing the land, women transplanting and
  harvesting)
• iii. the use of antiquity devices or
  techniques

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• Different customary methods of cultivation in few
  regions of the country
• Most writers attribute these regional variations
  in customary practices to the influence of
  physical conditions
• - nature of local soils
• - rainfall regimes
• - topography
• - irrigation facilities

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• This paper seek to review the relationships
  between the culture history of peninsula, these
  regional differences in customary practices of
  padi farmers and the important changes in rice
  production in recent years.

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• The permanent cultivation of wet-padi probably
  began in 10th century in the Muda and Merbok
  river, and the lower valley of Kelantan and
  Terengganu rivers.
• The agricultural patterns of these areas were
  strongly moulded by Thai influences.

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• Later it was practised on small scale in coastal
  Malacca in 15th century, restricted in the area
  under the Portuguese and Dutch administrations
• Minangkabau migrants from Sumatra introduced
  wet-padi cultivation techniques to the valley of
  inland Malacca and Negeri Sembilan, then into
  western Pahang and other several parts of
  peninsula until the 17th century.

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Culture History and Customary

• The techniques of wet-padi cultivation was
  apparently grown on a system of shifting
  cultivation.
• First occurred in the valleys of northwest and
  northeast.
• (Two main arguments)
• 1. That techniques was entered northern states
  from Thailand, in the 15th century.
• 2. The techniques may first become known in
  Kedah as part of the process of
  Indianization.

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• the relationships between regional variations in
  methods of wet-padi farming and other features of
  local culture, malays of the northget
  influences emanating from Patani, Thailand
  Malays of south get influences from Sumatran
• yet padi-farming is usually seen as a focal
  aspect of the Malay way of life.

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• Therefore, specific terms or terminology
  associated with padi-farming in WM seems to show
  regional differences.
• Thus riceland is known as bendang in North west,
  sawah in southwest, and paya in Pahang.

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• Malay do attach a high value to traditional forms
  of agricultural. But there are clear indications
  of changes in cultivation practised in the past.
• It seems to have accelerated in recent decades
  with the decline of relative isolation and the
  growth of government extension services.
• The padi-planters have been able to
  communicate, exchange their ideas and experiences
  to improve their own methods of cultivation..

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• Regional System of Cultivation
• Methods of padi planting in WM was differ from
  one regional to another regional
• The different was in term of
• Preparing the Land
• Transplanting process
• Harvesting process

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The Northwestern Plains

• Step 1. Preparing the Land

Clearing/slashing and grass with tajak, raking
and rolling
-level the land with buffalo-drawn rake -final
rolling -level the land -seeds have rooted

• rainy season burnt
• off stubble
• let water into the field
• cross ploughed

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• PLOUGHING PROCESS

RAKING AND ROLLING MACHINE
RAKING AND ROLLING WITH BUFFALO
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• Step 2. Transplanting process
• Nurseries practices differ according to local
  conditions.
• Wet nursery
• a. Sited within the fields, dressed with guano.
  Seedling are transplanted direct to the fields.
• b. Where water is deep. Floating nursery is
  needed. Building a raft of coconut fronds
  spreads with grass and straw, covering with mud,
  spreading the seeds onto the nursery bed. Then
  transplanted to the fields.

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TRANSPLANTING PROCESS
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• Step 3. Harvesting

Reaping process.. Used Sickles. Some areas used
traditional small reaping knife renggam
Threshing process.. Beat the sheaves against a
ladder or board set up right in a wooden tub
screened on three sides by straw matting
Winnowing Used plaited bamboo basket
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HARVESTING
REAPING
MODERN REAPING MACHINE
THRESHING
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TRADITIONAL DEVICES
SICKLE
KUKU KAMBING (TWO-PRONGED )
RAKES
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• This region was emerged as one of improved padi
  farming techniques by the first successful
  adoption of double cropping with rice in WM.
• Began in the Sg Kulim Irrigation Area, when
  Japanese introduced short-maturing
  non-photosensitive japonica varieties from Taiwan
  in 1943.

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• From mid 1950s, this techniques was spread to
  Muda Irrigation Area and became standard
  practice by 1964.
• In 1965, work began on massive Muda Irrigation
  Project to provide adequate irrigation facilities
  for double cropping of coastal Kedah Perlis by
  impounding water in the catchments of the upper
  Muda and Pedu rivers.

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The NortheastKelantan, Terengganu and Coastal
zone of Pahang

• Topographically different from the coastal plains
  of northwest.
• Characterized by complicated pattern of minor
  local variations in relief caused by terraces,
  ridges, abandoned stream courses and old lagoons
  the depth and availability of water differs -
  made irrigation is difficult.
• Traditional system of padi cultivation rely
  entirely on seasonal rainfall.

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Customary Method Of Rice Cultivation

• Padi Chedongan wet rice system in lower valley
  which are flooded naturally.
• Nursery preparation
• (after field was ploughed and raked)
• There is contrast practice between two places
• Kelantan prepared dry nursery on elevated
  ground
• near their houses.
• Terengganu prepared wet nurseries on land
  adjacent to fresh water swamps or in the beds
  of abandoned river channels.

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• Padi Menghulu- wet-padi system planted in a
  short-term early crop
• Padi Tugalan dry-padi system, intermediate
  between true wet-padi of lower valleys and
  shifting hill-padi farming.
• Method ploughed the land, but did not use the
  nurseries.
• Depend entirely on sufficient rainfall during wet
  season.

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Inland ValleysNarrow valleys from Kinta, Ipoh to
Segamat, Johore)

• Known as sawah
• Traditionally small flood plains were irrigated
  by either brushwood dams or bamboo waterwheels.
• Land preparationweeds and grass are slashed with
  tajak and left to decompose.
• Ploughed with buffalo-drawn roller, agitating the
  soil with cangkul(hoe) or tajak.
• Wet nurseries are used.

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• Harvesting with small reaping knife although
  sickles have been introduced.
• Threshing entails trampling the ears with the
  bare feet on raised platforms of bamboo slats,
  the grains falling through on the mat below.
• Winnowing by hand using bamboo tray (nyiru).
• Double cropping then were introduced in 1964

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• The introduction of double cropping and the
  associated technological changes were perceived
  differently by the government and the farmers.
• To the government, it is an exercise in national
  economic development.

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• To the farmers, it is changes in his own personal
  farm, household environment.
• - some of them, hindering the acceptance of
  
• new varieties
• - growing several varieties of rice,
  because of
• different tastes when cooked
• - different type for their own consumption
  and
• different type to market.

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• The annual cycle of ritual and ceremony in a
  Malay village is closing geared to the
  traditional single cropping system and in this
  adoption of double cropping has serious
  disruptive influence to their culture.
• However in 1969, 225,000 acres of rice land were
  planted with an off season crop. The degree of
  acceptance shows improvement

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The reception of change Some cultured factors.

• Expansion of the cultivated area was officially
  advocated. Therefore official efforts are now
  directed to the promotion of double cropping,
  planting new short-term, high-yielding varieties
  and improvement of cultivation practices.
• These revolutionary changes requiring a new
  conception of padi-farming and more scientific,
  disciplined approach to farm operation.

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• such as.
• 1. Introduction of new varieties Malinja ,
  
• Mahsuri, Padi Ria and Bahagia.
• 2. Recommendation of chemical fertilizers
• 3. Uniformity in the timing of each stage in
  the cycle of operations were monitored.
  (Officials in each area put out precise calendar
  of operations in receptive regions).
• 4. Providing adequate irrigation facilities .

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The End. Thank You