ALOR GAJAH: Pineapple farmer Iskandar Zulkarnain has suffered an estimated loss of around RM150,000 after his crops at Nusa Dusun Orchard Resort in Kuala Linggi were submerged by flooding due to heavy rain on Sunday.
Iskandar, 46, reported that knee-deep floodwaters covered five plots of over 2.83 hectares containing 75,000 MD2 pineapple plants, which may have affected state production, as the farm is the largest pineapple producer in Melaka.
“All the pineapple plants were submerged for more than 48 hours since Sunday, and are still inundated, though the water has receded to calf-deep level.
“The main threats to pineapple crop are water and weeds... the flooding is feared to have harmed and stunted the plants, resulting in significant losses,” he told Bernama today.
He added that he has been cultivating pineapples for six years and that this flood is the second occurrence since last year, making it the worst incident he has faced.
Iskandar Zulkarnain fears that the flooding may disrupt his supplies to local hotels and has lodged complaints with the Alor Gajah Municipal Council (MPAG) and the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM) to seek appropriate assistance.
He also claimed that the poorly maintained drainage and irrigation systems at Nusa Dusun Orchard Resort contributed to the flooding.
“Nusa Dusun Orchard Resort is a mixed-development area involving residential, agricultural and tourism sectors. Despite having a developer, it appears to have failed in managing the area effectively.
“There is a lot of neglected land causing overgrowth and tangled trees to block the drainage channels, impeding proper water flow,” he said.
The media reported that the Alor Gajah district was severely affected by flooding following prolonged heavy rain on Sunday, forcing over 400 people to be relocated to relief centres.
