Ensure farmers’ aid reaches target group, follow up with agricultural empowerment

SHAH ALAM - The government needs to ensure the Padiberas Nasional Berhad’s (Bernas) Special Assistance amounting to RM10 million reaches the target group and should follow up with agricultural empowerment.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu on Dec 31 today announced that the farmers’ aid would be distributed in stages to paddy farmers in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang starting January 2023.

Farmers from other states would receive the aid when the remaining Bernas special aid totalling RM50 million would be distributed.

Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) head coordinator Nurfitri Amir Muhammad when asked to comment about the assistance, said that the aid was long overdue and it was what promised.

“This assistance is of a short-term nature.

“For the long term, the government must think about revolutionising the paddy and rice industry.”

Meanwhile, Malaysian Farmer Brotherhood Organisation (Pesawah) chairman Mohd Fuad Yaacob insisted that the government would need to prioritise farmers who were poor and qualified such as those who had a paddy field of one or one-and-a-half acre when distributing the aid.

“We positively acknowledge this aid as long as it reaches the target group because there is a number of socioeconomic categories of farmers from a low income to the group at the other end of the spectrum which may not have as much trouble sustaining themselves.

“The farmers with relatively smaller field and those affected by recent natural disaster and such need to be handed over this aid.

“For reducing the burden of farmers, we offer our thanks to this noble deed by the rice company, Bernas and the anticipated effort of our prime minister in the hope that this aid will reach the deserving ones,” he expressed his gratitude to parties involved in the initiative.

Noting that the assistance may not be sufficient, he said at least there was a concern and effort from such a company, the minister as well as government to lay a helping hand to the group in question.

“Afterwards, the government needs to look into the cost of paddy production and related matters aside from these donations,” the Pesawah chairperson added.

Bernama reported that earlier this month, Bernas agreed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s request that an allocation of RM60 million would be provided to help paddy farmers across the nation.

Today, Mohamad said farmers in the three East Coast states would receive the special assistance no later than Jan 16, 2023 with a total of 20,598 paddy farmers listed to benefit from Bernas’ contribution of RM250 for each of them.

“The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and agencies under it are finalising the list of farmers’ names and (bank) account numbers in the three states to ensure the distribution process runs smoothly,” the agricultural minister informed earlier today.