PASIR SALAK, July 14 — Cloud seeding operations will be carried out to address the issue of dry padi fields caused by the hot weather, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
The decision was made following concerns raised by padi farmers in Kerian, Perak, over the receding water level in Bukit Merah Lake due to the hot weather.
“We are working on the cloud seeding. We have done it before as well, but we will have to wait and see. However, water reservoirs remain a critical concern.
“That is why a water transfer project is being planned in the Kerian Valley to address water issues in the Kerian Valley and South Seberang Perai,” he told a press conference after a ceremony to unveil the new Clearfield padi varieties MR CL3 and MR CL4 at the Felcra Berhad Padi Seed Centre today.
Mohamad added that the raw water distribution project from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam, aimed at increasing water supply capacity for agricultural use in the Kerian area, is expected to begin in August.
In another development, he said the increase in rice supply quotas to manufacturers would be based on each factory’s capacity to produce Malaysia's staple food.
“The quota is based on capacity. If a Bumiputera-owned factory has the capacity, we will do our best to assist,” Mohamad said.
On Wednesday (July 9), Perak Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun said the state government would submit a request to the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry to increase the rice supply quota for manufacturers, especially Bumiputera manufacturers, to meet current needs and safeguard the country’s food supply.
He said the move is crucial to ensure cooperation between large and small manufacturers in revitalising the rice industry and maintaining a stable and adequate supply.
— Bernama
