Scorching heat can affect rice yield

Dry spell: Children playing on the cracked earth of a padi field in Kampung Tengah, Tualang.

PETALING JAYA: Extreme high temperatures can irreversibly damage rice yield and grain quality, causing a shortage in production, said Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi).

Its Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation Programme, Agrobiodiversity and Environment Research Centre deputy director Norlida Mohamed Hamim said rice thrived in hot and dry to humid climates.