FARMERS’ and fishermen groups are unhappy with Budget 2020, as a closer look at the expenditure notes for the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry shows cuts to aid despite an increase in overall budget allocation of RM500 million from the previous year.

Budget 2020, tabled on Friday, allocated RM4.9 billion to the ministry, from RM4.4 billion in 2019.

But the extra RM500 million appears to be for operational costs, according to the budgetary notes.

Jaring, a fishermen’s association, said the detailed expenditure notes and comparison with 2019 spending showed that the overall allocation for fisheries dropped from RM178 million to RM177 million.

The estimated federal expenditure notes also show a cut in the development funding for fishermen entrepreneurs from RM400,000 to RM350,000.

Funding for the Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) is also reduced from RM156 million in 2019, to RM143 million in 2020.

And monthly allowances for fishermen, although increased by RM50 from RM200 to RM250, is still short of Pakatan Harapan’s election promise to raise it to RM450 a month, said Jaring deputy chairman Mohd Faizal Mohd Sabri.

“The previous government gave fishermen a monthly allowance of RM300 and then when Pakatan took over, it was reduced to RM200. The increase of RM50 is so little. We still remember Pakatan’s promise to raise it to RM450 when they were campaigning for the elections last year,” said Faizal.

The 37-year-old, who is based in Teluk Bahang, Penang, said the government should expand the budget for the fishery sector to improve their incomes, as problems, ranging from overfishing to pollution from land-based development, plague the industry.

“To be in the fishing industry, you need training, likewise if you are in fish breeding. You will need fish stocks and cages,” he said.

Budget 2020 failed to take into account the environmental and pollution problems fishermen faced, resulting in smaller landings along the peninsula’s west coast, he said.

“We have been told by the Fisheries Department to be prepared for the fact that fish stocks are on the decline and our seafood resources can possibly last another 30 years, but it doesn’t look like this has been considered in the budget,” Faizal said.

The department has projected a drastic drop in fish stocks from 473,345 tonnes to 21,002 tonnes.

Padi farmers’ woes

Besides expenditure on fishermen, another area with reduced funding for 2020 is padi and rice, which has been cut from RM69.2 million to RM66.1 million.

Funding for the development of the food produce industry was also cut from RM47.2 million to RM27 million.

There are increments, however, for some padi subsidies from RM796 million in 2019 to RM855 million for 2020. These involve fertiliser and a padi production incentive.

However, padi farmers in Kedah and Perlis hope that the subsidies can be channelled quickly as delays in the handout this year caused problems with the planting and harvesting schedules.

It also caused some farmers to fork out expenses from their own pockets upfront, adding to their burden.

Che Ani Mat Zain, the 64-year-old head of a farmers’ action group under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) said farmers only received this year’s subsidy at the end of the harvest season. 

“By then, some farmers had to use their own money, while others were not able to plant in time according to the season at all,” he said, adding that this affected the padi yield and thus their livelihoods.

Rubber planters left out

Rubber planters also feel there is nothing much for them in Budget 2020 through the Malaysian Rubber Board (LKM).

An association of rubber smallholders in Kedah, called Persatuan Pekebun-Pekebun Kecil Malaysia (PKPKM), said this will make it difficult to stabilise the price of rubber.

The association had suggested to LKM that the board act as a middleman between planters and rubber purchases to stabilise prices but the board said it did not have enough funds for that purpose.

PKPKM president Jhangir Khan Kathan said LKM last year received RM10 million for development schemes and quality assurance schemes. But without funds, such programmes cannot be carried out.

Under Budget 2020, rubber smallholders still receive RM100 million under a production incentive, while tappers will receive monsoon season assistance of RM200 million.

All farmers, fishermen and smallholders also have access to RM150 million aimed at supplementing their income by growing other marketable crops, such as chilli, pineapple, coconut, watermelon and bamboo. – October 13, 2019.