JERLUN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the implementation of infrastructure to support the ‘five-seasons in two years’ padi cultivation programme in the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) Phase 1 area to be expedited.
Anwar said the Kedah state government and agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) must work closely to support the government’s ongoing initiative to boost the country’s rice yield.
Among the efforts required of the state government, he said, was to expedite the land acquisition process to upgrade the irrigation system infrastructure in the area.
“The state government must speed up land acquisition… All this takes time. We can’t afford to compromise anymore, or everyone will be affected (farmers will be dissatisfied),“ he said.
He said this while speaking at the Launch Ceremony of the Infrastructure Development Project to Support the Five-Season Rice Cultivation Programme Over Two Years in Muda Phase 1 at Pida 4 Ayer Hitam near here today.
Anwar also urged all relevant agencies to provide progress reports from time to time to the ministry to ensure the programme’s implementation proceeded according to schedule.
He added that he did not want the programme’s implementation to be taken lightly, as the RM1 billion allocation for one area was not a small amount.
At the same time, he said improvements to the irrigation system for padi fields must be expedited, as previously, farmers had to wait up to 40 days to receive water supply.
On Oct 18 last year, while tabling Budget 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar announced the implementation of the project in Muda Phase 1, involving an allocation of nearly RM1 billion covering approximately 11,000 hectares.
The project is expected to increase rice yields by 15 per cent and boost the income of 6,100 farmers by 43 per cent.
