El Nino phenomenon hurting agriculture and fishing sectors in Perlis

KANGAR: The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country since last December is adversely affecting the agriculture and fishing sectors in Perlis, besides testing the country's preparedness in facing a long drought.

Farmers who have been dependent on rain have no choice but to postpone their padi planting. Most affected is the northern part of Perlis while small coastal fishermen are also feeling the effects of the El Nino phenomenon.
Harumanis mango orchard owners, meanwhile, are forced to work overtime to get water supply for their mango trees while the yields this season have dropped by almost 50%.

The latest report that Malaysia is expected to experience water supply shortage due to the hot and dry weather that has been forecasted to continue until June is worrying them even more.

But change in the southwest monsoon wind direction may even prolong the drought to September, according to the report.
Seberang Alor Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) chairman, Azman Ahmad said the livelihood of 2,000-odd fishermen in Kuala Perlis was being badly affected, as their average daily catch was down to five kilogrammes from almost 100kg since two months ago.

"Before the onset of the El Nino phenomenon, we would go out to sea at 8am and return two hours later as the fish catch was already substantial. But now we leave at 3am and return about 4pm, but the catch is not much.

"Normally, we would earn RM1,000 to RM2,000 per week but since February, only RM300 to RM700 per week," he said.

Hamzah Mat, 57, who plants rock melon on a one-hectare piece of land in Batu Bertangkup, Chuping, said the quality of his fruit had dropped while the size was also small now.

"This is probably due to the soil not getting enough water in this very hot weather condition.

"A good rock melon can be sold at RM5 per kg but now at only RM3.50, or three or four fruits at RM10," said Hamzah whose one and a half-hectare harumanis orchard is also affected by the drought.
State Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee chairman, Ahmad Bakri Ali said due to the drought, harumanis yields had declined by almost 50%, forcing the cancellation of many export orders for the state's iconic fruit.

Increasing demand but falling yields has also pushed the price of harumanis to as high as RM40 per kg compared to RM32 last year.

State Agriculture Department director, Zulkefli Amin Mat Jusoh said harumanis yields at its 60-hectare plantation in Batu Pahat had dropped by about 40% to below RM40 million now from RM60 million last year.

Meanwhile, 6,403 padi farmers in northern Perlis who are dependent on water supply from Timah Tasoh Dam are unable to work their 10,043 hectares of land as the water in the dam has reached below critical level.

Perlis Farmers Organisation Authority director, Shaidan Nordin said 1,440ha of padi land in Padang Siding, however, were receiving water supply from the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (MADA).

He said about 15,000 padi farmers in Perlis worked on a total of 24,000 hectares of land, including over 7,000 hectares outside the MADA area and they depended on rain for water supply. — Bernama