Camerons farmers want more accurate info on weather

IPOH: Farmers in Cameron Highlands are preparing to deal with the impending La Nina phenomenon.

Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said it was “cooler and cloudier up here these days”.

“Even so, we can’t scale down and not plant new crops. What if the La Nina doesn’t reach us at all? It’s always a risk when it comes to farming,” he said.

According to Chay, there was really no precaution that farmers could take.

“Many farmers have rain shelters now but it only helps to a certain extent.

“It may shield the crops from the rain but we still have to contend with the lack of sunlight.

“Without ample sunlight, the crops, especially tomatoes, cannot grow properly,” he added.

Asked if it was possible to use artificial lighting to assist the process, Chay said it was too expensive.

“It’s not worth it. In the end, the cost of installing and using LED lighting comes up to more than what we can sell our crops for.

“It’s the same case with glasshouses. There’s no point in us investing a few hundred thousand ringgit, not when we do not own the land to our farms, although that is the best solution yet in dealing with adverse weather conditions.”

Cameron Highlands Flori-culturists Association deputy president Wong Seng Yee said it would be of great help to farmers if the Government could provide them with reliable weather projections up to six months ahead.

“Not only are the weather predictions inaccurate, they are also irregular.

“We only hear about a phenomenon hitting us on the news from time to time.

“We cannot rely on the Agriculture Department to assist us in this matter at all,” claimed Wong.

“If the Government can warn us of adverse weather conditions six months in advance, we can prepare ourselves.

“In the event of the El Nino, we can look for other water sources whereas if it’s predicted there will be too much rainfall, we can work on improving our drainage as well as build rain shelters,” he added.