Reference Date: 02-July-2024

Planting operations of 2025 main rice crop has begun in some areas

Planting of the 2025 mostly irrigated main paddy crop began in June in Sabah State, amid generally adequate soil moisture levels that supported planting operations and crop establishment. In Peninsular Malaysia, the country’s main paddy‑producing area, planting operations will start in August, while in Sarawak State, planting is expected to start in October. Rainfall amounts are forecast at above-average level over most of the country between July and September 2024, which may benefit planting operations and early planted crops and replenish water level in the main reservoirse. However, excessive rains could trigger localized floods and cause damage to standing crops.

Below-average paddy production forecast in 2024

Harvesting of the 2024 secondary paddy crop is expected to finalize at the end of July, while the main crop was already harvested last April. The 2024 aggregate paddy production is forecast at 2.2 million tonnes, 8 percent below the five-year average, mostly reflecting disruptions caused by dry weather conditions during the cropping season associated with the El Niño event.

Above-average cereal imports forecast in 2024/25

The country relies on cereal imports to meet its domestic requirements, as local production covers only about one‑fourth of the total national cereal consumption. For the 2024/25 marketing year (July/June), total cereal imports are forecast at 7 million tonnes, 6 percent higher than the five‑year average. Maize imports, which account for the bulk of the imported cereal amounts, are projected at average 3.7 million tonnes.

Wheat imports are forecast at 1.7 million tonnes, 9 percent above the average, driven by an increase in domestic demand for bread and bakery products, attributed to population growth and to the recovery of the tourism sector after the COVID‑19 pandemic. Imports of rice in the 2024 calendar year are forecast at 1.6 million tonnes.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .