Cloud Seeding To Be Carried Out To Address Dry Padi Fields - Mohamad

PASIR SALAK, July 14 (Bernama) -- Cloud seeding operations will be carried out to address the issue of dry padi fields caused by the hot weather, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

He said the decision was made following concerns raised by padi farmers in Kerian, Perak, over the receding water level in Bukit Merah Lake due to the hot weather.

“We are working on the cloud seeding. We’ve done it before as well, but we’ll have to wait and see...however, water reservoirs remain a critical concern.

“That is why a water transfer project is being planned in the Kerian Valley to address water issues in the Kerian Valley and South Seberang Perai,” he told a press conference after a ceremony to unveil the new Clearfield padi varieties MR CL3 and MR CL4 at the Felcra Berhad Padi Seed Centre here today.

Mohamad said the raw water distribution project from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam, aimed at increasing water supply capacity for agricultural use in the Kerian area, is expected to begin in August.

In another development, he said the increase in rice supply quotas to manufacturers would be based on each factory’s capacity to produce the country’s staple food.

“The quota is based on capacity. If a Bumiputera-owned factory has the capacity, we will do our best to assist,” he said.

Last Wednesday, Perak Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun said that the state government would submit a request to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to increase the rice supply quota for manufacturers, especially Bumiputera manufacturers, to meet current needs and safeguard the country’s food supply.

He said the move was crucial to ensure cooperation between large and small manufacturers in revitalising the rice industry and maintaining a stable and adequate supply.

--BERNAMA