As the climate crisis continues to impact rice production, heirloom rice could save the day, as the highlands farmers of Sarawak show.

AT LONG Semadoh, there is plenty of rice. In fact, there is so much that excess is sometimes fed to livestock.

“Some people from outside our village think it’s outrageous that we feed our heirloom rice to our pigs,” says villager Peter Tadam with a laugh. “But what’s wrong with giving good food — food we plant with our hands — to our livestock?”

(Feature photo: Beras Adan Merah is one of the Long Semadoh heirloom varieties that have been grown for generations | Image: Arieff Zafir)