Melaka: A RM2.3 million pump house project in Kampung Pinang Batang Tiga, Klebang, which is now fully completed, is expected to benefit nearly 80.9 hectares of padi fields cultivated by about 35 farmers in the area. State Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Exco Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh stated that the project was a collaboration between the Melaka State Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) to improve the irrigation system for padi cultivation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the issue of water shortage faced by rice farmers in the area has been ongoing for many years and has often been raised by the area's elected representatives. With the completion of this pump house, it is anticipated to provide a more stable water supply to the rice fields, thereby resolving longstanding issues faced by the farmers. Dr Muhamad Akmal highlighted that this is the first phase of improving the area's irrigation system, with plans for a larger-scale project in the future.
Future irrigation developments are set to take water from Bukit Rambai, with an estimated cost of RM43 million and are projected to be completed within the next three to four years. This initial small-scale project aims to assist rice farmers in Kampung Pinang while the larger project is underway.
Meanwhile, Klebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong expressed his gratitude to the state and federal governments, along with the involved agencies, for completing the irrigation infrastructure ahead of schedule. The project, initially slated for completion in June, was finalized in March thanks to collaborative efforts.
With the new irrigation infrastructure, rice farmers' yields are expected to increase significantly. Previously, 0.4 hectares of rice fields produced about 1.5 to two tonnes of rice. With the enhanced system, the harvest could increase to approximately 2.5 tonnes or more, potentially boosting the rice supply in Melaka and enhancing farmers' incomes, thereby enabling a shift towards more modern farming methods.