October 6, 2025
ALOR SETAR – The inter-monsoon season has dealt a heavy blow to Kedah padi farmers due to the incessant rain.
Farmer Abdul Rahman Mohamad, 75, from Pendang, said each year, the weather has become worse and unpredictable.
“Heavy rain and strong winds during the harvesting season have left us with damaged crops and an empty field,” he said.
Abdul Rahman said the losses had left many farmers in dire straits and unable to properly plan for the next planting season.
ALSO READ: New padi variety boosts yields
Another farmer, who wanted to be known as Ahmad, 40, said the inter-monsoon season has not reached its full cycle.
Yet, he has already felt the wrath of the weather.
“If the rain continues, it could damage our padi field and destroy our crops before we could even finish harvesting.
“Too much water could destroy our next planting season, which is at the end of October,” he said.
ALSO READ: Modern padi farming the way to go
Malaysia Padi Farmers Brotherhood Association treasurer Muhamad Rafirdaus Abu Bakar said that this season, Kedah farmers could only produce about 800kg of padi compared with about two tonnes per hectare in the previous season.
“It’s not just the inclement weather but also a bacterial infection. The dreaded bacterial leaf blight (BLB) disease had infected the crops during the monsoon season,” he said.
The BLB spreads easily in warm, wet and windy conditions, making the inter-monsoon season a high-risk period.
He hoped the relevant authorities would assist affected farmers in overcoming their hardship and losses.
In Penang, the new padi planting season will also be delayed.
Zulkifli Mat Said, 45, said the delay was because of the unpredictable weather pattern.
“The ideal time to harvest is during the dry season when the padi can be collected easily, either manually or via machines.”
Zulkifli added that the sudden delay had proved costly for the farmers as all their planning was disrupted.
“Sometimes we have to wait several days for the field to dry before we can bring in the machines. If we rush, the heavy machinery might get stuck in the mud and damage the crops.”
Zulkifli said the prolonged wet condition would also affect the grain quality.
Another farmer Abu Bakar Ahmad, 67, said torrential rain often caused the soil to become too soft, making it unsuitable for the harvesting machine to operate.
“There’s a high risk for tractors to get stuck in the field if we try to harvest in this condition,” he said.
Abu Bakar urged the authorities to provide better support and guidance for farmers to cope with these challenging times.
“Not only do we risk losing the yield, (we may also lose) our income for the season,” he said.
Kampung Pelet Farmers Area Organisations chairman Mohd Fauzi Hussin pleaded with the state government to provide suitable subsidies or assistance to support farmers during the monsoon period.