Rice farmers in Kedah’s paddy field are shifting some of their workload to agricultural drones. ( January 05, 2025 ) — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
PETALING JAYA: While farmers are all for the move to adjust the padi-planting schedule to skirt around adverse weather periods, they want the government to ensure there is no delay in the distribution of padi seeds.
“When padi seeds are received late, planting is delayed by up to three weeks. This results in the planting season overlapping with the flood and drought seasons, leading to suboptimal padi cultivation and losses,” said Nurfitri Amir Muhammad, secretary of Malaysian Padi Farmers Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah).
He said timing is everything for successful cultivation.
“Originally, the planting schedule was set earlier to avoid the floods and dry periods.
“However, delays in receiving seeds have disrupted this, causing planting to be pushed back and forcing farmers into less optimal seasons,” he said in an interview.
The padi researcher, who is also chief coordinator of the Malaysian Food Security and Sovereignty Forum, said while rescheduling based on weather patterns is a positive step, this must be aligned with the supply of seeds and fertilisers to prevent a recurrence of problems.
“The planting schedule is tied to water release from dams, a process we can control, but the supply chain for seeds and fertilisers must also be efficient,” he added.
Besides logistical challenges, Nurfitri highlighted the financial strain on padi farmers due to delayed assistance for crops damaged due to floods.
“Although aid is available, many farmers face delays of up to a year in receiving financial support. This has left them without the necessary capital to continue operations, forcing them to pause farming or incur debts.
“Small-scale farmers, in particular, are hit hard, with some even abandoning their fields,” he said.
Nurfitri expressed concerns over the anticipated extended drought period for 2025, as forecast by the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (Nahrim).
“With predictions of a prolonged drought starting from March, there is a real worry about its impact on the new planting season,” he said.
On the proposed five planting seasons within a two-year period, Nurfitri said it has potential for improvements in padi farming.
“If we can double the yield per hectare with a more proactive planting schedule, such as one updated annually based on weather forecasts and better agricultural input supply, there will be no need for five planting seasons over two years.
“Increasing the number of seasons will only add costs and risks without necessarily increasing the total yield, provided we can enhance yield per hectare,” he said, calling for strategic planning and efficient resource management to optimise padi production.
A second-generation farmer in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, who only wanted to be known as Kamal, said he decided to stop planting padi on his 1ha farm after losing his entire crop to floods last September.
“I received government aid but it was not much and I just could not go on anymore. I sold one of my machines to clear some debts but I still have others to pay,” he lamented.
Saying it was not easy for small-scale farmers like him to keep afloat in times of disasters, he added, “I think it is more viable for me to turn to other work.”
