PENDANG: Around 20 padi farmers in Kampung Alor Ali and Kampung Tok Pauh here are crying foul over irrigation channels that have been clogged since the past five years.
The farmers claimed that they suffered tens of thousands of ringgit in losses each season when their over 30 hectares of padi fields are flooded.
Abdul Hamid Ghafar, 45, said the problem arose because the nearby irrigation channel was poorly maintained, becoming shallow and overgrown with plants, thus clogging waterflow and causing it to stagnate.
"Sowing padi seeds is futile when we can't drain water from the fields, forcing us to repeat the process twice a season.
"During the rainy season, stagnant water is our problem as it gets flooded. The Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) asks us to follow the planting schedule, but how can we comply when water remains stagnant?
"In the dry season, water from the irrigation channels can't enter the fields, stunting the growth of our crops. Each planting season, we lose RM1,000 for every 0.3 hectares of the padi field we cultivate," he said at Kampung Alor Ali in Bukit Raya here today.
Ahmad Puzi Bahari, 62, said the last time the authorities carried out maintenance on the irrigation channel was seven years ago.
He said farmers in the two villages pooled RM50 each to hire an excavator to remove overgrown plants from the river.
"This hasn't fully resolved the issue. The irrigation channel needs deepening, but the cost is too high. We can't afford to hire an excavator for long periods of time.
"Each padi planting season, we barely break even and have to repay loans for seeds to the rice millers and Mada.
"We have lodged complaints, including during meetings with the Tokai Area Farmers Organisation (PPK), but no comprehensive action has been taken.
"We are not blaming anyone, we just need help to prevent the losses," said Puzi, who has toiled padi fields for more than four decades.
Rosli Ahmad, 52, said the issue had forced him to pay twice as much for machinery rental and padi seed purchases.
He said the shallow and clogged irrigation channel also caused floodwaters to inundate several houses during the rainy season.
"We should have started sowing by now, but we have had to delay. I still need to pay rent to the landowner each season."
"If Mada does not act, we don't know when we can start sowing seeds. I hope that Mada responds to our complaints."
The NST has reached out to Mada to comment on the farmers' grouses, however, no response has been received so far.
