LOSSES exceeding RM46 million have been recorded due to the damage of over 5,915 hectares of paddy fields under the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), affecting 1,500 farmers. 

The losses are estimated based on the floor price of RM1,300 per metric tonne of paddy.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the government is undergoing an assessment for the losses to the farmers and  will provide compensation ranging from RM876 to RM1,800 per hectare, depending on the age of the affected crops.

“This year’s floods were unexpected by the farmers, who anticipated them in October. Instead, they occurred in mid-September, just as the paddy was ripening, resulting in many fields being submerged.

The ministry, in collaboration with relevant agencies, including those responsible for irrigation, is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the damage to the approximately 6,000 hectares of affected paddy fields. 

Preliminary surveys have already been completed, and immediate assistance will be provided, with a focus on recovering the flooded areas, particularly the key granary zones, which require urgent attention.

Overall, 2,074 farmers and livestock breeders in northern Peninsular Malaysia have been impacted by the floods, with losses amounting to RM40 million — TMR