ALOR SETAR: Government disaster aid for padi farmers is capped at 1.2ha which is about the size of one-and-a-half football fields.
So for those with larger plots, it is important for the padi fields to be insured, said Farmers’ Organisation Authority chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
He called on padi farmers of large plots to register themselves under an insurance scheme to financially protect themselves against floods, pest infestation, crop diseases and other calamities.
He said it is important for padi farmers to register with the Agrofood Takaful Protection Scheme: Padi Crop Takaful Scheme (STTP), the first in the country which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in September.
It was announced on Nov 25 in the Selangor state assembly that in the case of Selangor, only 5% of its 7,407 farmers had signed up for the insurance.
“Padi farmers in Kedah and Perlis must act faster because the STTP offers a wide coverage that surpasses government aid.
“If their padi fields are insured under takaful, the farmers may be eligible for compensation,” he said.
The scheme provides protection against crop damage caused by natural disasters such as floods (up to RM3,000 per hectare per season) and pest infestation and crop diseases (up to RM1,500 per ha per season).
For now though, Mahfuz said newly planted padi fields in Kedah and Perlis are growing well despite the northeast monsoon.
