Over 20,000 padi farmers in Perak benefit from RM200 per hectare ploughing aid to ease rising costs
PASIR SALAK: More than 20,000 registered padi farmers in Perak have received an advance payment of RM200 per hectare under the Ploughing Incentive Special Aid, said State Rural Development, Plantation, Agriculture and Food Industry Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun.
He said the initiative, recently announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was seen as an effort to ease the burden on padi farmers facing higher operating costs following the increase in diesel prices.
“Padi farmers under the Seberang Perak and Kerian Integrated Agricultural Development Areas, Felcra, and the Agriculture Department are receiving the incentive,” he said told reporters at the Hari Bertemu Petani, Penternak dan Nelayan @ Dewan Undangan Negeri Kampung Gajah programme, held in conjunction with the Jelajah Sejahtera Agro here today.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that the government had agreed to provide an advance payment of RM200 per hectare, under the Ploughing Incentive Special Aid to help padi farmers nationwide.
The initiative, approved at the National Economic Action Council MTEN) meeting, is expected to benefit nearly 240,000 registered farmers, with a financial implication of RM48 million.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Zohir Jamaludin, 39, a padi farmer from Kampung Gajah near here, described the ploughing incentive as timely relief, as operating costs had surged sharply to RM800 per hectare.
“Thank you to the Prime Minister, as the incentive can, to some extent, help ease the burden faced by padi farmers.
“I hope the incentive is paid directly to farmers so that they can make the best use of the assistance,” he said.
