Kedah deserves RM200mil yearly for feeding nation, says consumer group
ALOR STAR: The Consumers Association of Kedah (Cake) has called on the federal government to allocate an annual RM200 million incentive to the Kedah state government in recognition of its role as the nation's primary rice producer.
Its president Yusrizal Yusoff said the state had dedicated 113,000ha of land exclusively for padi cultivation — land which could otherwise be utilised for more lucrative industrial or commercial development.
"Kedah produces over 450,000 tonnes of rice per season, contributing nearly 45 per cent of the national supply. This contribution comes at a significant cost to the state and its people, particularly the farmers, who labour in challenging conditions and are regularly exposed to fertilisers, pesticides, and the elements," he said in a statement today.
Yusrizal said that while states such as Negri Sembilan had repurposed their padi fields for industrial use decades ago, Kedah had preserved its agricultural zoning to uphold national food security.
He also cited a royal decree issued in June last year by the Sultan of Kedah, Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, who urged the federal government to approve a RM200 million allocation in support of the state's efforts.
"This is not merely a sacrifice of land, but of economic potential. These areas could have been transformed into industrial zones, attracting investment and yielding higher income," he added.
Yusrizal's remarks came in response to the Kedah government's rejection of a proposed RM41 million fiscal incentive from the Town and Country Planning Department (PlanMalaysia), which was intended to safeguard the 113,000ha of padi land.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor reportedly had said during a state assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Aman that the amount fell far short of the RM200 million previously requested.
Yusrizal said that Cake fully supported the state government's decision.
"RM41 million is wholly insufficient, considering the extent of land preserved and the economic opportunities forgone. A RM200 million annual incentive would provide vital support for the state's continued development while acknowledging the contribution of its farmers," he said.
He urged the federal government to reassess the proposed scheme, stressing that a fair and adequate allocation was necessary to sustain Kedah's economic growth without undermining its critical role in ensuring the country's rice supply.
In June last year, His Majesty Sultan Sallehuddin had urged the federal government to approve the RM200 million request.
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