ALOR SETAR: The Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) yesterday denied that paddy farmers in Kedah and Perlis will postpone replanting due to a shortage in water supply.
Its deputy general manager (Technical) Datuk Hor Tek Lip said the organisation had repeatedly stated that the first season of this year’s paddy planting would not be affected by the El Nino phenomenon.
“Claims to the contrary are not true at all. Of course we see that the paddy fields are dry and cracked. This is because the water will only be released at the end of March, which is the start of this year’s first season.
“I urge farmers who are experiencing any problem to go to the Mada office and seek advice from our officers, we’re here to help,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
A local newspaper reported yesterday that farmers in Kedah and Perlis are unable to start planting paddy due to water shortage at dams.
Hor said Mada would start supplying water in three phases, from March 30 and April 9 and 19, involving 100,685 farmers in its area.
Water levels at three major dams in Kedah, namely Muda, Ahning and Pedu are at 81.77 per cent full, which is sufficient for paddy farming, he said.
Prior to this, state Housing and Local Government, Water Supply, Water Resources and Energy Committee chairman Datuk Badrol Hisham Hashim said the water in the three dams was sufficient for the next two years. — Bernama