Bachok: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) has received approval for 18 upgrading projects, focusing on water infrastructure development in the agricultural sector, under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), with a projected total cost of RM400 million. KPKM Deputy Secretary-General (Development) Datuk Luqman Ahmad highlighted this initiative as a response to ongoing concerns from farmers and padi growers about inadequate water supply, impacting the quality and productivity of their crops.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Luqman emphasized the critical challenge faced by farmers related to infrastructure, particularly access to water supply facilities and agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. Under the 13MP, there are five allocation cycles, and in each cycle, projects will be rolled out each year to enhance water infrastructure. Luqman shared these details with reporters after inspecting the Bachok Area Padi Harvesting Programme in Kampung Keting.

One of the 18 approved projects includes the construction of the new Kasa II Pump Station in Pasir Mas, under the supervision of KADA, with a budget of RM28 million. Luqman noted that the remaining 17 projects would be discussed in a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, as water issues continue to be a central focus of the government to support farmers and enhance the nation's agricultural output. The projects will be implemented in phases since it is not feasible to complete all within a year, but efforts will be made to adopt the best strategies to address the water supply challenges.

Additionally, Mohd Faizul mentioned that the new Kasa II Pump Station project is anticipated to benefit 2,700 farmers cultivating 10,000 hectares of padi and is expected to be completed by early 2028.