El Nino: Govt to bolster water management, padi farmer aid for food security

Published on 16 Jul 2026 3:38:29 PM

The government is stepping up measures to lessen the impact of El Nino on the agro-food sector by improving water management, expanding smart irrigation and providing aid to affected farmers.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (July 16) that the government is also developing more drought-resistant padi varieties through the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) and will carry out cloud seeding when weather conditions permit.

On the issue of falling durian prices due to oversupply, Mohamad said efforts would continue to expand export markets, particularly to China, by improving logistics and customs clearance for fresh and frozen durians.

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Keywords
dewan rakyat , parliament , news, thestartv, the star, government, el niño, water management, smart irrigation, farmers, agriculture and food security minister, mohamad sabu, drought-resistant padi varieties, mardi, cloud seeding, durian prices, oversupply, export markets, china

Keywords:
dewan rakyat , parliament , news, thestartv, the star, government, el niño, water management, smart irrigation, farmers, agriculture and food security minister, mohamad sabu, drought-resistant padi varieties, mardi, cloud seeding, durian prices, oversupply, export markets, china