KANGAR, The Perlis state government hopes that the Federal Government will allocate specific funds in the 2025 Budget to improve drainage and irrigation infrastructure, particularly in the state's padi field areas. State Agriculture, Plantation and Food Industry Committee chairman Razali Saad said ongoing issues with drainage and irrigation systems, both within and outside the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) areas in Perlis, are still prevalent. He added that the inadequate systems are a major cause of poor water flow, which frequently disrupts agricultural activities, especially during the flood season. 'If this issue continues, farmers will face repeated losses due to the ineffective drainage systems. Therefore, on behalf of the farmers in both MADA and non-MADA areas, we hope that the upcoming budget will specifically address these drainage concerns,' he told Bernama. Budget 2025, themed 'Ekonomi MADANI, Negara Makmur, Rakyat Sejahtera' is scheduled to be presented in Parliament on Oct 18, 2024. In addition, Razali expressed hope that the budget will include provisions for repairing damaged road embankments in Perlis MADA areas, which are essential for transporting agricultural produce from rural areas to main roads and then to processing factories. "These damaged embankments need immediate attention to ensure the smooth transportation of agricultural products. Addressing this issue would significantly improve, or at least protect, padi farming activities in both MADA and non-MADA areas,' he said. Razali also added that around 432.9 hectares of padi fields in Perlis were affected by floods about two weeks ago, impacting 256 farmers and resulting in an estimated loss of RM3.5 million to date. He said data collection on the flood-affected padi fields is still ongoing and will continue until Oct 4. Source: BERNAMA News Agency