KOTA BARU: The Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (Kada) has anticipated a decrease in rice yield by up to 25 per cent this season compared to last year, which yielded over 212,000 metric tonnes.
Its chairman, Muhammad Husin, said this is due to most of the paddy fields being dry and the lack of water following the dry season that is hitting the country.
"The optimal temperature for rice plants is 30 to 34 degrees Celsius. An increase of just one degree in temperature can result in a 10 per cent decrease in yield.
"We anticipate that Kada's yield will decrease by up to 25 per cent due to the drought compared to last year's rice production of over 212,000 metric tons, averaging 4.2 metric tons per hectare.
"So far, 2,630 farmers have been affected by the drought, involving an area of 9,100 hectare," he said when contacted.
Yesterday, the media reported that over 50 farmers, cultivating rice fields covering more than 200 hectare in Kampung Aur Duri, here, were at a loss as a significant portion of their cultivated paddy fields were damaged due to water scarcity caused by the dry season.
They claimed that most of the rice they had cultivated since last December began to deteriorate two weeks ago, while some could only survive for a week.
The farmers also faced losses of up to tens of thousands of ringgit.
Meanwhile, commenting on the issues in Kampung Aur Duri, Muhamad said that the current water pumping operations are scheduled from 8am to midnight.
He said the pumping operation levels depend on the Kelantan River's current levels and the water distribution to the paddy fields involved, which are also set on a rotational basis according to the water gates.
"Farmers are advised not to interfere with the water gates that have been set according to the scheduled water distribution," he said.