FLOOD AND FOOD SECURITY IN MALAYSIA

THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT is committed to studying the appropriate types of assistance to ease the burden of farmers affected by floods including the provision of financial assistance and post-flood recovery support. The government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) will continue to closely monitor the flood situation. They will collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that assistance can be channelled quickly and effectively to KPKM target groups in need.  Recent years the flood situation and assess the impact of the floods on the affected agricultural sector. The total value of losses in the agricultural sector in Kelantan for example are due to the floods this time is estimated to exceed RM16 million recently in 2024. A total of 4,872 hectares of agricultural land were reported to have been affected in which it involving 2,156 paddy farmers, food crop farmers and food entrepreneurs while 661 staff of KPKM Inc. Kelantan were also affected by the floods this time. Several states will create ripple effects impacting the nation's food security despite the affected padi crops being in the early stages of cultivation. Losses of between RM10 million and RM12 million in areas under the Muda Agriculture Development Authoritiy (MADA) in Kedah and Perlis. Damage to early-stage crops is less severe than damage to mature padi, as seen during the September floods before the harvest season. However, the cumulative effect on food security remains significant by multiple floods. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology'' blog I share of the dlood and food security situation in Malaysia.

The bad weather in 2024 reported that in some fields have been submerged three times this year which leaving these farmers without a single profit and the financial toll is already overwhelming. Farmers urged the government to expedite assistance for farmers affected by the recent and earlier floods. There are farmers who have not seen any returns from their crops at all this year and they haven't received the cash aid for the earlier floods either. Their fields remain submerged, and they need fresh capital to restart planting. Unlike other crops in which padi requires substantial upfront investment. The growing challenges posed by climate change in which the paddy farmers had exacerbated the situation. Climate change has disrupted padi farming and causing erratic weather patterns and frequent flooding. This poses a serious threat to our food security in Malaysia and globally. In MADA area alone recently the affected area this time is significantly larger than the 6,000 hectares impacted by the September floods in the same year 2024. The full extent of the losses would only be determined after an impact survey is completed. Reported that 'Floods wiped out 5.3 million 10kg bags of potential rice production' in which the recent floods have resulted in a current loss of 5.3 million 10-kilogramme packs of potential rice output. 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 reported Malaysia have lost around 5.3 million 10kg rice bags in the market which it completely wiped out due to the floods that have affected our country. In Malaysia parliament question about the effectiveness of initiatives implemented by the ministry to address the issue of local white rice supply shortage. The ministry mention that government had provided a Rice Crop Disaster Fund to offer assistance to padi farmers to reduce the losses they incurred due to the floods. An amount of RM30 million allocation had been provided for infrastructure repair assistance due to flood damage this year. Many 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 in which was launched last October 2024. 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'. Thanks.

By,

M Anem,

Melaka City,

Malaysia.

December 2024.

Updated April 2025.