PUTRAJAYA: The government will continue its efforts to help padi farmers in Kedah, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"We have given RM1bil and this is still ongoing," he told reporters at the Health Ministry's Hari Raya open house celebration on Tuesday. (April 22).
He was asked to comment on Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor's demand for RM200mil annually from the Federal Government as a special incentive so the state remains as the nation's 'jelapang padi' or the top producer of rice in the country.
Sanusi had rejected a proposal by the Town and Country Planning Department (PlanMalaysia) of an annual payment of RM41mil to Kedah under the master plan for land use planning in Malaysia's national food resource areas.
In February, Anwar announced an allocation of RM1bil to boost padi production by the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada).
The allocation would be used for an infrastructure project to support the five-season padi planting programme every two years in the Muda region at Kampung Pida 4, Ayer Hitam.
The project includes the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Pedu Dam and the construction of 15 blocks of tertiary irrigation systems for Mada padi fields.
The Pedu Dam, completed in 1966, is the primary source of irrigation for the padi fields, which stretch from Perlis to Kedah.
The cost includes six years of maintenance for tertiary irrigation systems and seven years for the Pedu Dam.
The project involves 15 blocks covering 10,730ha of padi fields across Mada's four regions: Perlis, Jitra, Pendang and Kota Sarang Semut.
