KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) has launched an aid initiative to support rice farmers and other crop operators impacted by recent floods. This assistance will be sourced from the Padi Crop Disaster Fund (TBTP) for rice farmers and the Agricultural Disaster Fund for other crops.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, announced the introduction of the Padi Crop Takaful Scheme, effective from September 13. This scheme aims to safeguard rice crops against various risks, including flood damage.

The TBTP offers financial support to rice farmers who have incurred losses due to natural disasters. The aid distribution process involves several stages, including report preparation and damage assessments conducted by field agencies to determine the extent of losses.

To mitigate potential issues such as aid leakage or unfair distribution, the minister emphasized that assistance is restricted to registered rice farmers
who have been vetted and approved by the Screening Committee at the Technical Agency level. This was highlighted during the Minister’s Question Time session at the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query from Datuk Idris Ahmad regarding the mechanisms in place to ensure aid reaches the intended beneficiaries.

Mohamad Sabu reassured that all aid applications would undergo thorough evaluation at the state level before being submitted to the TBTP Technical Committee at the headquarters for final approval. For those seeking relief from the Agricultural Disaster Fund, assessments and field surveys to evaluate crop damage will commence within 14 days following the cessation of flooding.