Devastating Floods Submerge Paddy Fields in Malaysia, Impacting Rice Production
Heavy floods in Malaysia's northern states have submerged over 38,000 hectares of paddy fields, causing significant damage to major rice-producing areas and leaving farmers facing substantial losses. This comes amidst the worst flooding in decades to hit both Malaysia and Thailand, displacing hundreds of thousands and claiming dozens of lives.
The northwestern state of Kedah, responsible for roughly half of Malaysia's rice output, has seen around 12,600 hectares of paddy fields inundated. "This is the third time in two months we are experiencing floods in Kedah," stated Muhamad Rafirdaus Abu Bakar, treasurer of the Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation. "The affected paddies have just been planted, some only a day to a month old."
In the northeastern state of Kelantan, over 26,000 hectares of paddy fields have been damaged by the floods. Kelantan Farmers Association chairman Zuha Ismail reported that most affected areas had recently been planted with seeds, while others were nearing harvest. Farmers in Kelantan have been unable to plant paddy for three consecutive seasons, resulting in losses amounting to thousands of ringgit.
The floods have impacted around 6,000 farmers in Kedah. Muhamad Rafirdaus expressed concern over the lack of government support, stating that previous flood relief payments of 1,000 ringgit ($224) were insufficient to cover losses.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu has assured farmers that the government is committed to studying various forms of assistance, including financial aid and post-flood recovery support. He estimated the total agricultural losses in Kelantan due to the floods to exceed 16 million ringgit, with the figure expected to rise as assessments continue.