Loss of income: A padi farmer inspecting some of his crops that dried out at Kampung Gulau in Pokok Sena, Kedah. — Bernama
ALOR SETAR: Padi farmers in Kedah are experiencing lower production yield due to the prolonged hot spell, resulting in their income dwindling by about 40% during the harvest season.
Padi farmer Wan Maharuddin Sulaiman, 67, said the current hot weather had badly affected crops.
“Other factors which contributed to the lower production were rare diseases,” he said.
Wan Maharuddin, who has been a padi farmer for the past 20 years, said most farmers in the Pokok Sena and Muda Agri-cultural Development Authority (Mada) areas were now in the midst of harvesting their crops.
He said some have even finished harvesting and are currently awaiting further instructions from Mada on the new padi planting season.
“While waiting for the new planting season, we’re using the time to repair the fields. This is also the time (for us) to fix patches or holes in the fields,” he added.
Another farmer, Abdul Rahman Musa, 70, said padi farmers in Pendang were taking on other jobs to earn income during the hot spell.
“While waiting for the new season, some of us do ‘kampung jobs’ such as gardening or helping at the ‘nat’ (morning market).
“Older farmers like me spend time at home with our families and go to the surau to perform prayers and listen to sermons,” he said.
Abdul Rahman said the weather in Pendang currently is scorching hot and farmers are trying to minimise their outdoor activities.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a heatwave warning for several areas such as Padang Terap, Sik, Baling, Kuala Muda, Pendang and Kota Setar.
The weather forecast for Kedah had indicated two weeks of sunny days, with sporadic rainfall and storms, starting last Sunday.
A check on the MetMalaysia website found that the temperature in Kedah will be between 35°C and 37°C over the next few days.
Meanwhile, Mada said the optimal water levels at the three water dams under its supervision were enough to meet the irrigation requirements for padi farming activities and household usage throughout the El Nino season.
As of Sunday, the total combined capacity of the three dams was at a stable level of 72.6%.
“The storage capacity at Pedu, Muda and Ahning dams show comfortable levels at 71.43%, 47% and 91.56% respectively,” it said in a statement.
Currently, the progress status of padi cultivation activities in Mada areas showed that 77.3% were already harvested.
As such, the current use of water for irrigation purposes is at a minimum level, Mada said.
It also said the total rainfall recorded in areas under its purview up to last Saturday was a lower reading of 59mm compared with the 20-year average rainfall of 164mm.
Mada, however, said the public need not worry – adding that though the water levels in the dams had decreased slightly, they were still sufficient for the next padi cultivation season that will begin in April.
Mada also said in anticipation of the ongoing El Nino phenomenon, which is expected to continue until June, it will continue to take precautionary measures and immediate actions by maximising the use of recycling pump stations to conserve water from the dams.
“Farmers are advised to manage water usage efficiently to ensure that the water supply can be distributed effectively and to avoid wastage,” it added.
