KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) has allocated RM13.23 million in aid to 6,747 rice farmers affected by floods this year.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, stated that the assistance is for damages to 12,800 hectares of rice fields, based on data collected up to October.
Kelantan, Kedah, and Perlis are among the states that suffered the most significant losses due to the disaster.
"Previously, the 2023 Paddy Disaster Fund allocated RM8.38 million to help 4,946 farmers in these three states, covering 7,400 hectares of destroyed fields," he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara yesterday.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Abdul Nasir Idris regarding the amount of aid provided and the number of farmers benefiting from the fund.
Arthur added that a steering committee meeting would be held today to assess the damage from the floods affecting applicants from June to October this year.
"It involves three states, and we estimate the damage at RM12.88 million, affecting 5,817 farmers. However, the flood waves continue to come in phases," he said.
Yesterday's meeting only assessed the damage from June to October, but with further floods in November and December, data is still being collected and assessments are ongoing.
"It may take some time, as we often have to wait for the waters to recede before we can conduct proper assessments," he said.
Arthur added that the ministry is expected to hold a meeting early next year to evaluate the current wave of damage and distribute further aid.