A review of paddy residue management in Malaysia

S. M. Shafie
a

School of Technology Management and Logistics, College of Business, University Utara

Malaysia, Sintok 06010 Kedah, Malaysia
shafini@uum.edu.my

Rice straw and rice husks are the main residues from paddy cultivation, generated during the harvesting and milling process. Malaysia is
one of the leading producers of paddy. It has gained 0.48 Million tonnes of rice husk with 3,176,593.2 tonnes production of rice straw
in a year due to the emerging technological development in Agra-industry. Malaysias agriculture department is targeting to improve the
productivity of the paddy sector from the current yield from 3 to 5 tonnes per hectare to around 8 tonnes per hectare in 2012 and 9 to
10 tonnes per hectare by 2020. If the target is achieved with 10 tonnes per hectare, the output of paddy will be increased to
6,575,474.8 tonnes per year. According to national news agency 200,000 ha idle land in Malaysia will be used for paddy plantation. This
will increase to about 30% of paddy production. Parallel, to these the production of paddy residue also increases. Malaysia will face the
problem regarding the paddy residue or waste management in the future. Unfortunately, the burning of rice straw remains the current
cultural practice of disposal in Malaysia. Also, rice husk are being burned along the road that give the impact to the environment.
Hence, the further studies are needed to identify the best practice to overcome this problem regarding the paddy residue in the near
future.
8,000,000.00

About 80% of rice straw industries in the world are applying

improper disposal management that causes pollution. Rice straw
is rarely used as sources of renewable energy (Binod et al.,
2010) and open burning is a common practice applied in
majority of Asian countries (UNEP, 2009).
Table 1: Lists the current rice straw
disposal management across the world
Country
Indonesia,
Philippines

Practice
Straw is heaped into piles
at threshing sites and
burned after harvest
Thailand, China, All straw remains in the
Northern India
field and rapidly burned
in situ
India,
Straw removed and used
for cooking, fodder and
Bangladesh,
stable bedding
Nepal
Valencia (Spain) A project for rice straw
blankets to dry farming
California
Burning the rice straw
due to low cost disposal
method
Thailand
Annually, 8.5-14.3 M
tonne about 90% of rice
straw is burned in the
fields
Malaysia

Crop
establishment

Paddy Production

4,000,000.00

Rice Husk Production

2,000,000.00
0.00
1980 1985 1990 1995 Year2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Figure 1: Paddy and paddy residue production, 1980-2020

Sources
(Dobermann &
Fairhurst, 2002)

Table 2: Lists the MADA location involved

in rice straw project production (0.25%
from the total rice straw production).
Location

(Dobermann &
Fairhurst, 2002)
(Dobermann &
Fairhurst, 2002)
(ECORICE, 2006)
(Kadam et al., 2000)

Sanglang
Kokbah
Pengkalan
Kubur
Sungai
Limau
Total

Area Straw project production (tonne)

2010
2011
2012
Block 2008 2009
(PPK)

2013

B-II
E-III
B-IV

774.9 1521.45 959.85 1812.15 2147.40 1494.0

401.4 141.75 385.2 498.15 352.35 713.25
139.5 118.35 229.5

F-IV

521.1 559.8

580.5

1084.05 3193.2 571.95

1674.4 2223.0 1898.55 3524.85 5811.3 3008.7

(Suramaythangkoor &
Gheewala, 2008),
(Tipayarom & Oanh,
2007)

Open burning practice of (Ahmad, 2010),(Nori

rice straw
et al., 2008)

Land
preparation

Tonne
6,000,000.00

Crop
management

Figure 2:Rice straw utilization in MADA area.

Harvesting

Paddy and paddy residue production process

Paddy
plantation

Figure 3: Rice husk and rice straw disposal method

Rice husk

Rice straw

Environment impact

Malaysia lack of application for paddy residue management.

By 2020, Malaysia will generate abundant of paddy residue in field that can contribute to environmental impact.
The right way of paddy residue management can create the positive impact on economic, environmental and social.