Alor setar: The move to cut the disbursement period for assistance under the Padi Crop Disaster Fund (TBTP) from four months to two is more than an administrative tweak, reflecting the government's broader transformation to strengthen domestic food sustainability and boost farmers' resilience.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the reduction in bureaucratic red tape has been described as a 'lifeline' for padi farmers grappling with rising costs, natural disasters, and climate uncertainty, enabling them to resume cultivation without prolonged financial losses. Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (PeSAWAH) chairman Abdul Rashid Yob emphasized the critical nature of faster disbursement, particularly after disasters, to ensure the continuity of crops and livelihoods.
Abdul Rashid, who has cultivated padi fields in Alor Setar, Kedah for nearly 20 years, shared that challenges in the sector have intensified over the past five years, including higher operating costs, climate change, floods, pests, and diseases. He noted that yields previously averaged seven to eight metric tonnes per hectare but have since dropped to about four to five metric tonnes due to climate impacts and disease outbreaks.
Abdul Rashid, managing six hectares of padi fields, revealed that PeSAWAH records show nearly 80 per cent of farmers are forced to borrow to continue planting and meet daily expenses. He cited the major floods in Kubang Pasu, Kedah last November, which inundated more than 10,000 hectares of padi fields and caused losses estimated at RM5,000 to RM6,000 per hectare.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip indicated that analysis of 25 years of rainfall data showed average annual rainfall in Kedah for the 2020-2024 period was generally higher than in previous years. The increase was more pronounced between 2020 and 2022, and again this year, with the major floods last November as a significant impact of heavy rainfall along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
In a related development, Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar stressed that the shortened TBTP payment period underscored the MADANI government's commitment to safeguarding farmers' welfare and ensuring national food sustainability. He explained that prior to the reform, applications had to pass through five approval layers, affecting farmers' economic survival, especially after disasters. The process has since been streamlined from five to three stages, with LPP working with Agrobank to expedite fund transfers via electronic banking.
Mahfuz added that the reform is expected to raise farmers' confidence in government service delivery, aligning with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's emphasis on good governance and fast, transparent, people-centric services.