25 padi farmers suffer losses after Marang floods

MARANG - Twenty-five farmers in Kampung Barat and Kampung Tuman Pengkalan Berangan here suffered losses amounting to RM50,400 when their crop was destroyed to floods, last week.

A farmer, Mohd Fadzly Jaafar, 44, said the heavy rain damaged 0.8 hectare of his padi plot (out of the 12-hectare) which was ready to be harvested.

"The padi planting began last October and the crop was ready for harvesting, with the expected crop yield of about 3,000 to 4,000 kgs of padi, worth between RM4,500 and RM6,000.

"It is sad to think about the loss, but the flood was unexpected,” he said when met by reporters here.

Mohd Fadzly said it was the first flood he experienced since he ventured into farming nine years ago.

Another farmer, Mohd Pauza Abdul Rahman, 55, said although the flood-affected only a hectare of his two-hectare, he still hoped for assistance from the authorities to recover the losses.

He said staff from the State Agriculture Department visited the site recently and assessed the loss at RM1,680 per acre.

"We hope that this assistance can be expedited, and we can use the fund to plant the next crop,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pengkalan Berangan Assemblyman Sulaiman Sulong said 25 farmers suffered losses as their plots were located at the low-lying area.

The affected farmers are those with padi plots in Kampung Bukit Kulim, Bukit Gading, Kampung Tuman and Bukit Jejulong.

"I have asked them to complete the application for assistance from the State Agriculture Department, while the assistance from the state government will be channeled through the Agricultural Disaster Fund as soon as possible," he added. - BERNAMA