ALOR SETAR, 28 Dec 2018:
The government has been urged to make sure the status of padi fields in the state remain unchanged and rice cultivation is ongoing – to avoid any “leakage” in the distribution of subsidies to farmers.
A representative of the farmers in Langgar, Mohammad Rodzi Md Noh, claimed the matter must be resolved as there were padi farmers who had stopped planting padi – and the status of their land had changed since it was being developed for other purposes.
“They do not work on their padi fields, so they are not eligible for subsidies such as fertilisers. But there are some who still get such aid from the government.”
He said the bleaching process by the government would not have any impact if there were irresponsible parties taking advantage of the situation.
“We ask the government to make sure farmers get the official search certificate to verify their land status before being brought to the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (MADA) for certification.
He said while the land area could change because of development projects, it was not right for those who currently had about 2ha of land to get subsidies from the government for a land area of over 3ha they had 15 years ago.
Mohammad Rodzi said relevant departments and agencies should declare that only farmers who are truly eligible can receive government assistance.
Previously, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said the government had assured farmers they would continue to receive subsidies despite the ministry’s limited allocation.
To ensure subsidies continue to be channelled, the government is implementing the rice bleaching process to ensure only qualified farmers receive the assistance.
– Bernama