RM56.92 Mln In STTP Benefits Disbursed To Padi Farmers

ALOR SETAR, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- A total of RM56.92 million in benefits under the Paddy Crop Takaful Scheme (STTP) has been disbursed to padi farmers nationwide since its introduction in 2024. 

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said STTP benefits amounting to RM12.36 million were disbursed in 2024 and RM5.06 million in 2025 in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) areas. 

“Today, RM2.42 million in STTP benefits is being disbursed in stages to 541 padi farmers in MADA areas, while additional benefits amounting to RM423,930 are currently undergoing assessment and verification,” he said. 

He was speaking at the 2026 Kedah padi farmers engagement programme, which was also attended by Agrobank Group president and chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin, at the MADA H-II Kepala Batas Area Farmers’ Organisation (PPK) premise, near here, today.

He said another RM5.12 million had also been disbursed since October to 1,000 padi farmers in areas outside MADA under the Kedah State Farmers’ Organisation Authority (LPP), with the payments credited directly to recipients to help them prepare for the next planting season. 

Mohamad said to protect padi farmers against the risk of losses caused by natural disasters, pest attacks and crop diseases, the ministry would continue expanding benefit disbursement under the scheme, which offers maximum coverage of up to RM3,000 per hectare per season. 

He also urged padi farmers who have yet to register for STTP to complete their registration promptly through their respective PPKs to safeguard their livelihoods and ensure a more sustainable future for the padi industry. 

Meanwhile, he said efforts to strengthen the country’s padi production also focused on the issue of soil fertility, which is fundamental to the effectiveness of agricultural inputs. 

He said the MADANI government had allocated RM20 million under Budget 2026 for the supply of foliar fertilisers and soil fertility materials involving MADA, the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA) and the Kerian Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA Kerian). 

“Every government allocation is not merely an expenditure but a strategic investment that must translate into increased productivity, higher incomes for padi farmers and the country’s food sovereignty,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah said appropriate financial protection is important in helping padi farmers cope with risks that could affect their source of income. 

He said the implementation of STTP in MADA areas has also contributed to the opening of more than 22,000 Agrobank accounts, thereby expanding farmers’ access to formal financial services and facilitating the direct disbursement of benefits. 

-- BERNAMA