By Mustakim Ramli
SHAH ALAM, March 12 — Paddy farmers in Sungai Panjang and Bagan Terap have been urged to find alternatives such as planting cash crops if the soil of their paddy fields are no longer suitable for rice-planting.
Sekinchan state assemblyman Ng Suee Lim, however, said that the farmers are required to be patient while anticipating findings from the Malaysian Nuclear Agency (ANM).
He said the state administration empathised with the difficulties faced by the group over the losses faced when their rice produce yielded only 2.5 tonnes of rice per hectare during the latest harvest season as compared to eight tonnes before this.
“After the issue is identified and if it (the soil) is determined to be no longer suitable, we can allow them to cultivate cash crops,” he said when contacted.
Commenting further, Ng said he is ready to be the middleman to assist farmers in need of assistance and advice on suitable crops to cultivate if the paddy fields can longer produce rice.
Previous reports had stated that the ANM will be analysing the troubled paddy fields measuring 1,500 hectares at the locations concerned before the planting process begins in July.
State executive councillor for agricultural modernisation and agro-based industry Izham Hashim said the Selangor government is taking initiatives to ensure that the fields would become fertile again to prevent paddy farmers having to suffer (similar) losses in the future.
The state government has allocated a total of RM1 million to assist 2,500 paddy farmers recently facing a deterioration in paddy harvest in Sabak Bernam.
