JERLUN: Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada), which manages the nation’s “rice bowl” production area, welcomed the government’s plan to set up a complaints tribunal to mediate disputes between padi farmers and millers.
Its chairman, Datuk Othman Aziz, said the tribunal would be the right platform for padi farmers to seek justice and compensation in a more transparent manner based on standard operating procedure (SOP).
Othman, who is also deputy finance minister, said it was about time for the padi farmers to have a proper avenue to seek justice against dubious deduction of padi grades to the farmers.
He said in some cases, millers had allegedly slashed the farmers’ payment by up to 40 per cent.
“We do understand that in some cases, the payment is being slashed due to poor padi quality, but it some cases, the deduction went as high as 40 per cent.
“I hope with the setting up of the tribunal, padi farmers will have an avenue to mediate the disputes between them and the millers,” he said after launching coconut as the new source of wealth programme in Ayer Hitam here.
On Saturday, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced the ministry’s proposal to set up a tribunal to mediate disputes over the high dedication of padi grade by millers.
Shabery said farmers who were unhappy with the deduction could refer their case to the tribunal.
He said the ministry was proposing the tribunal to be comprised of representatives from Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK), farmers and millers.
Yesterday, the Malay Rice Millers’ Association (PPBMM) lauded the government’s plan to set up the complaints tribunal to mediate disputes between padi farmers and millers.
Its president, Mohamad Termizi Yop, was reported as saying that the setting up of the tribunal would allow the association to properly explain on the deduction of padi grades to farmers.
On the new source of wealth programme, Othman said 160 padi farmers had received 640 seedling of matag coconut variety as part of an initiative to generate additional income.
Othman, who is also Jerlun MP, said a total of 9,000 matag coconut seedlings would be distributed to padi farmers in Mada territory under the first phase project.
He said through the programme, Mada aimed to produce 1.2 million of coconut worth up to RM2.4 million through the participants after four years.