THE country’s rice supply is unaffected by a drought affecting the nation’s rice bowls of Kedah and Perlis, said local farmers’ groups.

This is because the majority of rice growers in the region are able to irrigate their fields with water from the rivers even as two dams feeding the industry run low.

Those whose fields have dried up due to unseasonably dry weather are growers who are entirely dependent on the Pedu and Muda dams for their irrigation needs, said National Farmers’ Association (LPP) Kedah chapter chairman Musa Khamis.

The arid spell has triggered worries that the nation’s rice supply will be disrupted because of the inability of farmers to meet harvest targets.

The Kedah-Perlis region provides the biggest chunk of the nation’s rice supply, feeding about 47% of the demand for the staple grain, he said.

The rest comes from other peninsula states, Sabah and imports from Thailand and Vietnam.  

“Only one district out of 13 in Kedah is affected. About a third of farmers in Kubang Pasu district are affected,” Musa told The Malaysian Insight.

In Perlis, about half of farmers in the Padang Besar parliamentary constituency, such as in Bintong, Titi Tinggi, Mata Ayer and Chuping, are affected, said LPP Kuala Perlis branch chief Hamdan Hassan.  

These farmers are outside the jurisdiction of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada), Hamdan said.  

Mada oversees and assists about 90% of rice farmers in the Kedah-Perlis region, providing them with technical advice, fertiliser, herbicides and irrigation.

“Between 3,000 and 4,000 farmers and 200ha are affected. But collectively, their harvests do not amount to even 10% of the rice that comes from the region.”

The rest of the region’s farmers are expected to meet their harvest deadlines and supply targets by February, Musa told The Malaysian Insight.

“There will only be a minimal effect on the national supply.”

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub is expected to visit again Kedah and Perlis farmers whose fields have been hit by the drought later in the week.

During his first visit, Salahuddin assured them that the government would be divert water sources to irrigate their fields.

Mada’s irrigation system enables farmers in the Kedah-Perlis region to plant twice a year, in March to July and again in September to January.

But the exceptionally dry weather disrupted the second planting season of last year as the rains, which usually persisted from November to March, stopped in December, said Musa.

“Instead of being able to finish planting in January, many were forced to start late. So, the harvest for this season will be late and the planting season for 2020 will also be late.”

Water levels in the Muda and Pedu dams could not be replenished because of a lack of rain in the Muda water catchment area.

Farmers in the northern part of Kedah, who depend entirely on water from these two dams, are the worst hit, said Hamdan.

“Farmers in the other districts, in Alor Star, Pendang, Yan and Guar Chempedak are still able to water their crops and their padi looks good.” – January 8, 2020.