ALOR STAR: The severe floods that ravaged Kedah and Perlis last month have affected some 16,000 hectares of padi fields under the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) purview.
Mada chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh said the size of padi fields impacted by the recent floods was bigger compared with the September floods, which devastated nearly 6,000ha of padi fields under the agency's authority.
"Up to now, we estimate the recent floods have impacted some 16,000ha of padi fields in Mada area. This figure is much worse compared with the 6,000ha of padi fields in Mada area affected by the September floods.
"The affected padi fields are submerged by floodwaters. For as long as the floods do not recede, the farmers will not be able to work on the padi fields," he told the 'New Straits Times'.
Dr Ismail said some of the affected farmers had started cultivating their padi fields before the floods hit on Nov 28.
"To replant the seeds, the farmers will have to wait for the floods to recede. We hope that there will be a sufficient supply of padi seeds for the farmers to start the replanting process," he said.
He added that the actual losses suffered by the affected farmers would only be known once an impact survey on the recent floods was concluded.
In a related development, Dr Ismail said Mada was working with the area farmers' organisations (PPK) to get farmers under its jurisdiction to sign up for the Padi Crop Takaful Scheme (PCTS).
He said to date, only 10,000 out of about 50,000 padi farmers under Mada had signed up for the PCTS coverage under AgroBank.
"The federal government has allocated RM50 million for the first year of the takaful scheme's implementation. Thus, the farmers do not have to pay for the coverage, all they have to do is to register with Agrobank.
"The takaful scheme is much better compared with the Padi Crop Disaster Fund (TBTP) because it's more comprehensive by providing wider coverage for disasters, including pesticide attack on their crops.
"More importantly, under PCTS, there is no maximum of three hectares of padi field compensation imposed on each farmer, unlike the limit stipulated under TBTP.
"Under PCTS, padi farmers who are toiling on more than three hectares of padi fields are entitled to full compensation once their claims are verified," he said.
Last month, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail presented RM1,000 cash aid to 4,233 padi farmers under Mada who suffered hefty losses after their crop, which was due for harvesting in September, was damaged by the floods.
Saifuddin said the RM4.23 million cash assistance was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.