The southwest monsoon period is drier, particularly for the west coast of the Peninsula, which is sheltered by the landmass of Sumatra. Convectional rainfall is not uncommon. In general, Sabah and Sarawak experience greater rainfall than does Peninsular Malaysia. The population is approximately 20 million, with nearly half residing in the rapidly urban-izing areas. Indica varieties are most common.
Rice is imported mainly from trading partners.
There is increasingly more demand for high quality, fragrant rice. Rice remains the staple food although per capita consumption has dropped from 110 to 93 kg over the past 20 yr. Wheat is consumed mainly as bread and pastries. More than half of the rice area is planted to modern varieties. This trend is increasing.