September 21, 2008 14:49 PM
"Kelantan Baloh Negara" Programme Yet To Achieve Objective, Says Mustapa
BACHOK, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- The objective to make Kelantan into the country's second rice bowl has yet to succeed due to lack of commitment by all concerned, Agriculture and Agrobased Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said today.
He said the reason could be that there was never a problem on shortage of rice supply in the country that those concerned, including the relevant agencies, were not serious in making any efforts to increase padi production.
"This is a lesson for everyone not to wait until there is shortage of rice to do something to increase padi production," he told reporters after a visit to the padi farming areas in Kampung Jelutong and Kampung Telaga Ara here, Sunday.
The move to make Kelantan the second rice bowl of Malaysia was part of an effort to make the state into a national food hub under a special programme known as "Kelantan Baloh Negara" which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Pasir Puteh about three years ago.
On his visit, Mustapa said the main problem facing the padi farmers there was irrigation as the only source of water to the area was from Sungai Jelawat and that he had asked the relevant agencies to look into the matter and overcome the problem.
He said the government had allocated RM800 million for various programmes to address the shortage of rice supply in the country.
-- BERNAMA
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