KUALA TERENGGANU – The Terengganu state government will request the National Security Council (NSC) to allow padi planting activities in the state during the implementation of the full movement control order (MCO) nationwide from June 1.
State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Azman Ibrahim said new padi planting for the second season this year should be carried out as scheduled from June 5 to enable the crop to be harvested before the flood season, which usually occurs at the end of the year.
“We have had to postpone padi planting activities for the second season of this year, such as the preparation of padi fields and plowing, especially in Besut, until the enhanced movement control order in the district ends on June 4. This is because Besut is one of the main districts for rice production in Terengganu.
“According to the second planting schedule, we will begin on June 5 and the padi is expected to be harvested at the end of October. We consider that a very risky time too, as there is the possibility of floods occurring. That is why we can no longer postpone it, and we need to give some flexibility for padi cultivation even during the total lockdown period,” he said in a press conference conducted online here today.
Azman said the request would be tabled at the Terengganu Security Special Committee meeting chaired by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, to be submitted to the NSC.
He said based on records, there were about 6,000 padi farmers in the state, with 3,098 of them being in Besut alone.
The federal government recently announced the implementation of the first phase of a new MCO, which will see a total lockdown for two weeks from June 1 to 14.
This comes following the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.
Meanwhile, Azman also requested the NSC to allow stalls, including roadside stalls selling fresh items, to be opened during the implementation of the full MCO to assist the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors in the state.
He said the proposal would make it easier for consumers to purchase these fresh items, besides helping to reduce congestion at supermarkets.
“When only supermarkets are allowed to open and roadside stalls are closed, there will be a monopoly in terms of prices as the goods sold (in supermarkets) are mostly not local produce,” he said. – Bernama, May 30, 2021
