BY: ERMIZI MUHAMAD
SHAH ALAM, JAN 9: The State Government has donated RM800,000 to help farmers affected by the Bacteria Leaf Blight (BLB) attack in December 2016.
Infrastructure, Public Amenities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-Based Industries Exco Zaidy Abdul Talib said that the amount covers equipment, liquid sprays and fertilisers.
He said paddy farmers also received advice from several state farming agencies as initiatives to give farmers across the state, a clear understanding on the symptoms of the disease.
“Farmers who were affected were also given advice and guidelines on how to overcome future BLB attacks.
“For now, the RM800,000 allocation is a special farming aid and input in addressing the BLB issue,” he said.
It was reported that the BLB attack in December 2016 destroyed 3,700 hectares of paddy fields and affected farmers in Sabak Bernam.
The attack was said to be the worst in the year’s second season, with almost RM5 million estimated losses.
In another development, Zaidy informed that the State Government will continue with its comprehensive aid programme in 2017, to all farmers across the state.
“For 2017, we will implement existing programmes, including efforts to continuously provide information and knowledge to farmers.
“At the same time, we hope that farmers will be better prepared against any possible outbreak that might destroy their crops,” he said.
