Over the padi fields of Gunung Semanggol and Selinsing, the sun is shining bright. But for the more than 1,800 padi planters, their mood is gloomy. Their fields, once green and lush with padi, now lie untended due to the extreme heat and sparse rainfall. The situation has now worsened, as the continuous hot spell over the last three months has decreased water levels at the Bukit Merah lake, which has been the primary source of irrigation for generations. Four months have passed and not even a seedling has been planted in Gunung Semanggol and Selingsing, which form parts of the Kerian district’s 17,000ha rice basin. According to Gunung Semanggol and Selinsing Farmers Organisation chairman Abdul Rahman Hamid, 1,878 planters had lost their main source of income because of the delay in planting. “We were supposed to plant in January but we had to delay the exercise three times because it did not rain. “We have been pushing the date further and we hope to start by May 15. But this will affect our need to harvest early and begin the second season. We are now left without any income,” he said. There are two harvesting seasons in a year, and a farmer can produce an average yield of 3.75 tonnes of padi per hectare. One tonne of padi is worth RM1,200, which means the planters, who own two to three hectares on average, stand to lose a sizeable amount if the drought persists until September, as predicted by the government. “We missed our first planting season. For sure, we will miss the second season, too. We have estimated the amount of losses we are going to suffer — it’s more than RM26 million.” The drought has caused the level at the Bukit Merah reservoir to fall below 6.15m, a class-three critical level which resulted in the state government deciding to stop the supply of water to padi fields in Kerian. Currently, 17,000ha of padi fields in the district have been affected and the farmers in Semanggol and Selinsing are the worst hit. “Padi farmers in nearby Bagan Serai and Tanjung Piandang areas are able to pump water from the Kerian and Kurau rivers, so they have some respite,” said Rahman. “We can’t obtain water from the rivers because we are too far away and there are no natural water sources nearby. We are at our wits’ end." He urged the state Drainage and Irrigation Department to find a way to channel water into their padi fields. Rahman said the farmers also wanted the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry to compensate the affected farmers for some of their losses. Abu Hassan Hamid, 48, said he hoped the authorities would do something to help the stricken padi farmers. “It’s been nearly three months with no income from the fields. I’ve have to find odd jobs on other people’s farms and plantations. “I have five kids, four of whom I still support. If the drought continues, I don’t know what I can do. We have never seen a prolonged dry spell like this before,” he said. “The farmers heard the drought might continue for a few more months. If the situation does not improve, it would be tough for us and our families. We pray to God to give us rain,” said 55-year-old farmer Roslee Sulaiman. Source - www.themalaymailonline.com