Farmers in Kelantan to face RM90mln in losses due to drought

Farmers in Kelantan are expected to suffer losses amounting to about RM90 million because of the drought if problem to channel water to the padi farming areas could not be resolved fast.

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the drought season in Kelantan had affected 8,000 padi farmers.

"We will try to reduce the losses. One solution is to get water to flow to the padi fields and this we have requested the Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority (Kada) to look into," he added.

He told this to reporters after opening the Penang National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) office here today.

Ismail Sabri said so far the ministry had only received report on dry padi fields in Kelantan following the dry spell.

In Kedah and Pahang, he said, the padi farmers were not affected as the harvesting season was over.

"I'll be going to Kelantan this Monday. We have requested Kada to resolve the problem and I believe the agency has its way of doing it," he said, adding that the ministry would also monitor the situation in other states following the current dry season.

The current drought is affecting padi farmers in Kelantan as their farming lots are dry, making it a problem for them to carry out farming, including for other crops.