SHAH ALAM, July 30 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is on high alert and has intensified measures to safeguard the country’s food security against the potential impact of a super El Nino, the Dewan Negara heard today.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin measures included maintaining a six-month rice buffer stock and strengthening climate resilience in the agriculture sector.
He said the ministry is maintaining its highest level of preparedness to tackle the potential impact of El Nino, with prolonged dry spells posing a threat to agricultural output and national food security.
Chan said to mitigate the impact, the ministry has allocated RM140 million this year to maintain irrigation and drainage infrastructure nationwide, while implementing digital early warning systems, coordinating cloud seeding operations, promoting water efficiency in farming practices, and introducing drought-tolerant paddy varieties.
"The government also maintains a six-month buffer stock of rice in the country. Whether there is El Nino or not, this remains our policy," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
He added that farmers affected by climate-related losses can receive compensation of up to RM3,000 per hectare under the Paddy Crop Takaful Scheme (STTP), which was introduced in September 2024.
Chan said the ministry is also leveraging 74 Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) nationwide to improve resilience against extreme weather by encouraging modern farming technologies and controlled environment agriculture, including greenhouse cultivation.
