KUALA LUMPUR: The recent floods have resulted in a current loss of 5.3 million 10-kilogramme packs of potential rice output, says the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup said the floods that affected several states had left a significant impact on the country's food production, particularly on the loss of potential rice production, including local white rice.
"It must be noted that this year's (floods) disaster is very extraordinary, and it has indeed had an effect on the supply of local white rice in our country.
"So far, we have lost around 5.3 million 10kg rice bags in the market... completely wiped out due to the floods that have affected our country," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) about the effectiveness of initiatives implemented by the ministry to address the issue of local white rice supply shortage.
Arthur said the ministry had provided a Rice Crop Disaster Fund to offer assistance to padi farmers to reduce the losses they incurred due to the floods.
He added that an RM30 million allocation had been provided for infrastructure repair assistance due to flood damage this year.
"Farmers are eligible to receive RM1,800 per hectare for a maximum of three hectares, depending on the extent of the damage.
"In addition the Agrobank Rice Crop Takaful Scheme, allows farmers to apply for assistance of up to RM3,000 per season, which was launched last October," he said.
Regarding efforts to address the local white rice supply shortage, Arthur said the ministry had introduced four institutional and industry reforms to strengthen the Gelombang Padi programme, effective Jan 1.
This involved the separation of powers and functions of rice industry management institutions, as well as the introduction of regulations prohibiting the mixing of local and imported white rice, in addition to strengthening enforcement regulations and improving the governance of the National Farmers' Organisation and the Farmers' Organisation Authority.