The irrigation water channels around Ketereh’s paddy fields in Kelantan are dry due to a shortage of water supply caused by the ongoing drought season, March 28, 2024. — Bernama pic

KOTA BARU, March 29 — A total of 40,000 tonnes of rice yield in Kelantan will be affected following the drought in the state.

Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) chairman Muhammad Hussin said the amount involved 5,000 hectares (ha) out of 9,100 ha of paddy fields where the paddy is cracked and badly damaged.

According to him, the Kemubu pumping house is unable to operate as the water level is only at 2.48 metres (m) compared to the required 3.5m.

“Most of those affected are the farmers, in the northern and southern parts of Kota Baru, who depend on the Kemubu pumping station, and in these areas the paddy cannot be saved,” he told reporters after performing the “Solat Sunat Istisqa” (prayer) with 300 paddy farmers at the Kemubu pumping station in Ketereh here today.

Elaborating further, he said Kada has also helped the paddy farmers with efforts to build tube wells at a cost of RM500,000, channelled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, but the process of building the tube wells is also quite difficult because some areas do not have water sources.

“Additionally, Kada also lacks workers to construct the tube wells and we had to ask for help from operators from Terengganu,” he also said.

He added that the problem of lacking water sources in the paddy fields in Kelantan is expected to be overcome after the third Kemubu pumping station is completed in June 2025. — Bernama

Published Date: March 29, 2024