Kedah's Padi Farmers Breathe Easier Thanks To RM200 Ploughing Incentive Advance

ALOR SETAR, May 6 (Bernama) -- Kedah's farmers are breathing easier thanks to the RM200 per hectare advance ploughing incentive payment, which has lightened their load ahead of the new padi planting season.

Malaysian Farmers' Brotherhood Organisation (PeSAWAH) chairman Abdul Rashid Yob welcomed the payment, saying it helps farmers secure the initial capital needed for ploughing, and urged authorities to disburse it without delay.

"We hope this advance payment can be expedited so that farmers have operating capital… many processes are still delayed and we fear our planting schedule will be disrupted," he said when met here today.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Coordinating Committee of the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) described the advance payment as a crucial boost, helping farmers carry out ploughing and preparing land during the critical phase just before the planting season begins.

The statement also conveyed that farmers in the Muda area have expressed their deepest appreciation and gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his concern in prioritising the advance payment to them.

“Farmers in the MADA area have described the move as highly significant amid rising production costs, as it provides relief and breathing room for them to continue working their fields without excessive financial pressure.

"This initiative not only lightens our burden but also boosts our morale and confidence to remain productive, ensuring the nation's rice supply and food security are protected," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Shukri Baharom, 64, said he and his fellow farmers welcome the initiative and regard it as a timely and much-needed assistance. 

"We thank the government for providing this help and hope there will be other forms of assistance in the future, especially for diesel," he said.

Another farmer, Ridzuan Mansor, 54, said the RM200 per hectare assistance remains beneficial even though the amount received varies according to the size of their padi fields.

"If you calculate it by relong (approximately 0.711 acres), the amount is not large, but we are still grateful. What matters is that we can start work and continue planting," he said.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that the government has agreed to pay an advance of RM200 per hectare, as part of the Special Ploughing Incentive, to 240,000 registered farmers nationwide to ease their burden.

The initiative, approved at a meeting of the National Economic Action Council chaired by the Prime Minister himself, will cost the government RM48 million.

-- BERNAMA