PUTRAJAYA, May 5 — The government has agreed to provide an advance payment of RM200 per hectare under the Ploughing Incentive Special Aid to help padi farmers nationwide.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the initiative, approved at today’s National Economic Action Council MTEN) meeting, is expected to benefit nearly 240,000 registered farmers, with a financial implication of RM48 million.

“This is because farmers have to rent ploughing machinery, and while the ploughing programme must continue, they require upfront capital.

“We believe it is better to provide them with the RM200 per hectare advance so they can proceed with their planting activities,” he said at a press conference on the global supply crisis, here today.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, stressed that the government remains attentive to the challenges faced by farmers, particularly rising fuel and agricultural input costs linked to geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Anwar said farmers’ concerns have also been addressed through the Ploughing Incentive for Padi Farmers (IPKP), announced earlier by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu on April 14.

“The assistance was increased from RM160 to RM300 per hectare to help farmers cope with higher commercial diesel prices,” he said.

Anwar added that the government would continue exploring measures to ease the cost burden on the public amid ongoing global supply pressures.

“We are facing significant challenges, but we will do our utmost to alleviate the burden on the people, especially those who are relatively poorer and more vulnerable,” he said. — Bernama