KOTA BHARU: Kelantan hopes the Federal Government will allocate at least RM1.3 billion to address the issue of insufficient water supply for its agricultural sector in Budget 2025, which will be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 18.
State Agriculture, Agri-food Industry, and Commodities Committee Chairman Datuk Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail said the amount is needed not only to resolve the water supply problem but also to ensure that Sungai Kelantan can be utilised by nearby plantations and padi fields.
“Perhaps a systematic system could be developed along the Sungai Kelantan for this purpose (water supply issue). Although it spans the river, it does not conflict with the state’s enactments or the National Land Code,“ he told Bernama.
Pesawah-Pesawah Kelantan chairman Zuha Ismail, 51, said the issue of insufficient water supply, especially for the agricultural sector, needs to be resolved as it has burdened around 7,100 farmers for more than 20 years.
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He said that the issue not only affects crop production but has also forced some farmers to take loans for survival and to repay debts on machinery they had purchased.
“Most farmers in the Bachok area rely on the Kemubu pump, and if the pump encounters problems, it will impact the farmers.
“In fact, last December, the Kemubu pump had a leakage issue that affected up to 90 percent of the crops,“ he said.
Bachok’s Pekebun Kecil Tanah Gambut Kampung Kual Asli chairman Mat Deris, 64, said the majority of farmers and smallholders in his area depend on nearby rivers and rainwater for their crops but when the dry season hits from February to May, they face problems due to insufficient water supply.
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