NESTLÉ PADDY CLUB was established in 2012 with the aim of achieving a sustainable supply model, benefitting local paddy farmers in Kedah while securing a long-term local supply of responsibly-sourced rice for our infant cereals. The programme today involves 216 farmers covering more than 611 hectares of paddy fields.
Creating mutual benefit for all
The programme equips farmers with Good Agricultural Practices in paddy farming to produce greater yielding high-quality crops which enables them consistently meet Nestlé’s stringent and rigorous global requirements. At the same time, NESTLÉ PADDY CLUB positively impacts local farmers by providing a source of sustainable income, helping to improve their livelihoods.
We continue to have strong focus on looking for new innovations and solutions to address increasingly difficult rice growing conditions. NESTLÉ PADDY CLUB farmers supply us with good quality rice and we need to ensure they receive the support needed to continue supplying. We need to see to it that they continue to earn a good living and are taken care of.Chong Chin Yin, Agricultural Officer, Nestlé Malaysia
In addition, the programme contributes to environmental sustainability through promoting efficient usage of water and reduction of carbon emissions. Through NESTLÉ PADDY CLUB, farmers are taught to use an innovative and sustainable approach to paddy farming known as Semi-Aerobic Rice Intensification (SARI). This method facilitates a reduction of irrigation water by 30% to 40%, resulting in lower methane emissions. We also provide our farmers with eco-friendly microbial supplements to further increase their yields in a sustainable manner.
The supply, traceability and freshness of the rice harvested to manufacture our infant cereals ensures the best quality products for our consumers.
DID YOU KNOW?
SARI is a water-saving approach that can be applied in low-land paddy fields to reduce water usage and methane gas emissions. The conventional rice farming method requires paddy stalks to be immersed in water. By using the SARI method, the soil is kept moist but not inundated, significantly reducing the need for irrigation water and decreasing methane gas emissions released from the decaying organic materials submerged in water!
