RM600 padi harvesting aid was one-off, says ministry

 The agriculture and food security ministry says the incentive was only given in 2023 and 2024, dismissing opposition claims of unpaid aid.

The agriculture and food security ministry said it could intervene under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 if there were disruptions to the country’s padi and rice production or supply chains.

PETALING JAYA:

 The agriculture and food security ministry has rejected claims that it stopped disbursing the RM600 padi harvesting incentive for the last two seasons.

In a statement, the ministry said the cash incentive was a one-off special aid provided only for 2023 and 2024, and was not included in the 2025 or 2026 budgets.

“Therefore, the issue of delayed payments, as exaggerated by the opposition, does not arise,” it said.

“It is important that statements made are based on facts and the actual details of the government’s policies to avoid confusion among farmers and the public.”

Yesterday, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin called on the government to clarify claims that the incentive had not been disbursed to padi farmers for two consecutive seasons.

The Larut MP also urged the government to address the diesel price hike immediately, warning that it could lead to a food supply crisis, as padi farmers would be among the hardest hit.

The price of diesel in West Malaysia has been fixed at RM5.52 per litre until April 1, a RM1.60 increase from RM3.92 per litre in the middle of March.

The ministry also acknowledged concerns over rising operational costs following the diesel price hike, saying the matter is being carefully reviewed before any recommendations are made to the finance ministry.

It added that it could intervene under the Control of Padi and Rice Act 1994 if there were disruptions to the country’s padi and rice production or supply chains.

The ministry said subsidies for seeds, fertiliser and pesticides are unaffected and will continue, despite the global price hike. - FMT