JITRA, Sept 19 — Farmers from the Lubuk Batu Area Farmers’ Organisation (PPK) near here have suffered losses exceeding RM2 million after nearly all of their 232ha padi fields were flooded since Monday.
Megat Asmadi Megat Saidin, 52, from Kampung Panchor said his nearly 19ha padi field is inundated, resulting in complete damage to the crop that were ready for harvest.
“I’ve suffered huge losses, but I can’t say exactly how much… an area (of about 0.29ha) usually yields 1.5 tonnes of rice. Each tonne is RM1,800.
“I’m also bearing the costs of ploughing and purchasing padi seeds, not just for my fields but also for other farmers who hire me. I put the capital upfront, and payment was supposed to be made after the harvest.
“Without immediate aid, I won’t be able to resume rice cultivation after this flood. It’s not just me; my fellow farmers also need financial support as their crops for this season have been completely destroyed,” he told reporters today.
According to Megat Asmadi, this is the worst flood the area has experienced in 14 years, with the previous major flood occurring in 2010.
Abdul Jalil Abdullah, 59, from Kampung Padang Luar, said the flood has led to an estimated loss of over RM5,000, affecting 0.43ha of his padi fields.
“I ordered a rice harvesting machine… In addition to the harvest, I will need to cover the costs of seeds, ploughing, and labour,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lubuk Batu PPK chairman Harun Ramli, 72, expressed hope the Madani Government will allocate funds to help the 93 padi farmers in the area.
“The padi was due for harvest this week, but it’s all been destroyed. There’s nothing we can do about it. The losses are huge, almost as bad as the 2010 flood,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kedah Farmers’ Organisation Authority deputy director Nor Rahila Yusof urged all affected farmers to submit evidence such as photographs of flooded padi fields to facilitate loss assessments.
She said this is a key step in the standard operating procedure for disaster management.
“When a flood occurs, you must promptly take photographs, file a police report, and coordinate with the PPK to liaise with the Agriculture Department.
“They (the Agriculture Department) will visit the affected areas to assess the damage. We will review the padi crop schedule to determine the planting duration and estimate the costs incurred by the farmers,” she said.
She said this to reporters after distributing packed meals from the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to flood victims at the Dewan PPK relief centre near here today.
According to Nor Rahila, a full report on the damage caused by the flood will be presented at the state level for further action, after which the amount of aid to be allocated to the affected farmers will be determined.
She said that so far, 93 farmers have been affected, as nearly all of the 232ha of padi fields in Lubuk Batu PPK had been inundated since Monday.
— Bernama
