KOTA BARU: Farmers under the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) are now facing problems in cultivating rice crop next season due to the state government’s delay in resolving the issue of water supply to the padi fields.

Kelantan Farmers’ Association (Pesak) chairman Zuha Ismail said the issue has not yet been resolved by the state government.

“We are very grateful for all the initiatives taken by the Federal Government in helping Pesak regarding this matter.

“I understand that the repair works and the provision of pumps in Kemubu and Lemal will be done, but until now there has been no notification from the state government whether the repair works has started or otherwise,” he told Bernama.

Zuha said that farmers are currently experiencing losses for the previous two planting seasons and may decide not to plant padi in the next season.

According to him, more than 45% of the 7,721 farmers in Kada’s area did not plant rice in the 1/2024 season, while some who planted faced the risk of flooding and had not received fertiliser aid due to the delay in the rice planting process.

“This season’s rice crops are also at risk of being attacked by pests because many areas are not cultivated,” he said.

On Sept 10, the state government gave assurances to help complete the construction of the Kemubu and Lemal Pump Systems with an allocation of RM20mil which had been approved by the federal government through Kada.

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud is reported to have said that the medium-term solution also involves repairing temporary wall piling and related works in the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme with an estimated cost of RM15mil.

Published Date: October 7, 2024