Resolve issues before giving aid — Padi farmers
KOTA BELUD: Padi farmers here are seeking the government to resolve the issue of drainage and irrigation systems in the area first before channelling any aid to empower padi cultivation in the state.
According to padi farmers in the 7,000-hectare rice bowl area, the drainage and irrigation problems that have been going on for a long time often caused flooding of the fields during the rainy season, while outside the rainy season, it becomes dry because water cannot be channelled to the padi fields.
Johneysius Sinson, 41, from Kampung Tampasuk 1 who owns a 2.02-hectare farming plot, said he intended to use it for padi cultivation this year but was worried that the crop would be damaged because of the drainage and irrigation problems in the area.
“I have not worked the land for padi planting for two years since the last crop was damaged by the floods. It is frustrating to see the crops damaged after toiling in the field and then lose it...the government gives help but it is not worth what we should get.
“We are supposed to plant padi twice a year, but due to the unpredictable weather, it is difficult to plant even once a year,” he said when met at his padi field here.
He believed that the flood problems in the padi farming area could be reduced with proper maintenance of the river and the irrigation system.
Hence, the government should look into the maintenance of the farming infrastructure first, he added.
Last Tuesday, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced that the ministry will implement the ‘Gelombang Padi’ initiative which outlines 12 programmes that would be a game-changer to transform the country’s padi and rice industry to a more efficient and resilient level.
The programmes include introducing a new policy on the Certified Padi Seed Incentive (IBPS) programme; rehabilitation and development of soft soil padi land; strengthening the supply of agricultural inputs; and empowering the cultivation of hill padi in Sabah and Sarawak by providing provisions for the supply of agricultural inputs.
Another padi farmer, Main Gandilau, 63, from Kampung Tampasuk 2, said hIs 3.23-hectare padi crop would be destroyed every time floods hit the area due to the poor drainage and irrigation system. It causes me to suffer huge losses.
“When there is a flood, only about three acres (1.21 hectares) of the padi crop will not be affected... it is a big loss because one acre of the crop can provide me 2,500 kilograms of padi,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tambatuon Village Development and
Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Tambatuon Wolbote@ Bott Saringan, 50, said the main irrigation system to the padi fields in the village is often damaged when there is a major flood.
He hoped that the government could allocate funds to build concrete irrigation and drainage systems because they are more resistant and not easily damaged during floods.
He said Tambatuon Village has about 20.2 hectares of padi fields and is the only producer of organic rice or high-value fragrant rice.
“Now, we can only plant padi once a year, but if the problem of the irrigation system is resolved and the necessary assistance provided to the farmers after that, I believe we can plant padi twice a year,” he said.
In 2020, padi farmers in the Kota Belud rice bowl area suffered a loss of approximately RM29 million when almost the entire padi crop, covering about 7,000 hectares, was severely affected and damaged due to floods. — Bernama