PETALING JAYA: Farmers in the north anticipate a better rice harvest this year, thanks to improved weather following last year’s El Nino phenomenon.
However, they say they still need suitable padi seed varieties that can cope with changing weather patterns throughout the year.
Rasidi Saad, head of the Kampung Baru Farmers’ Unit in Langkawi, said the weather appears stable for now.
“This year, we expect better rice yields because last year’s weather was affected by El Nino. But this year, the weather seems more stable.
“We hope it stays that way, as we plan to begin planting at the end of April,” he said when contacted.
Unlike on the mainland, which benefits from dams and water reserves, he said Langkawi’s farmlands depend entirely on rainfall.
Therefore, farmers on the island need a mini water reservoir to support local agriculture.
“We’ve been applying for one since 2008. We’ve asked for a lake because we have rivers. But when it rains, the water isn’t stored – it just flows away, which is a waste.”
Due to the lack of water storage, he said Langkawi farmers are forced to use fast-maturing rice seed varieties.
“We need varieties that mature in under 100 days because we can’t risk long growth cycles without reliable water,” Rasidi added.
Mohd Ridzwan Md Arif, head of the Ulu Melaka Farmers’ Unit in Langkawi, shared similar concerns.
He said this year’s harvest depends entirely on weather conditions.
“As long as there are no floods, we expect a reasonable yield. If young padi, especially those under a week old, are submerged for three days, snails will eat them,” he said.
Nurfitri Amir Muhammad, chief coordinator of the Malaysian Food Security and Sovereignty Forum, said recurring weather challenges have forced padi farmers to adapt by choosing rice seeds that suit the climate.
Seasonal patterns, such as the northeast monsoon from November to March and the southwest monsoon from May to October, remain consistent, he said.
“The problem is that the dry season can be extremely dry, while the wet season often brings repeated flooding. This happens every year.
“And because of that, farmers now choose seed varieties based on these conditions.
“In dry seasons, they select drought-resistant varieties. In rainy seasons, they use flood-tolerant ones that can survive submersion,” he said.
However, Nurfitri said many farmers are more concerned about the quality of seeds sold by vendors.
“There are complaints in farmers’ WhatsApp groups that the seeds are not only expensive but also of poor quality,” he said.
To address this, Nurfitri said some farmers have begun saving a portion of their harvest to use as seeds in future seasons.
While farmers can adjust to some extent, he stressed that authorities must manage external factors such as severe floods or droughts.
Last year, Malaysia’s rice production faced serious setbacks due to extreme weather.
A prolonged drought caused by El Nino affected northern states like Kelantan, where around 5,000ha of padi fields were damaged, resulting in the loss of an estimated 40,000 tonnes of rice.
Later in the year, floods in November submerged about 23,548ha of padi fields across the country, leading to a loss of about 83,408 metric tonnes of rice.
These disasters caused a 5% drop in rice production in key areas.
