About 30 per cent of padi farmers in the country are expected to skip the new planting season due to rising operational costs, said Malaysian Padi Farmers Association.
Its chairman, Abdul Rashid Yob, said yesterday many of the estimated 200,000 farmers were struggling with higher costs, particularly from diesel price hikes.
He said some farmers chose to halt planting while others pivoted to alternative crops such as corn, vegetables or oil palm.
"This 30 per cent estimate includes farmers who are taking a break, switching crops or converting plots into fish ponds."Some are planting padi only for personal consumption. For instance, a farmer with one hectare might plant only a quarter of the plot for self-sustenance.
"Given the 600,000ha of padi fields nationwide, the impact on total production will be significant."
Rashid added that many farmers were unable to rent machinery and buy fuel due to the spike in costs.
"Ploughing costs have increased by over 50 per cent. When diesel prices fluctuate weekly, farmers and machinery operators also cannot set stable wages, further disrupting the entire production chain."
He said the RM300 per hectare Padi Ploughing Incentive was insufficient to cover the actual field costs.
"The aid does not solve the problem because machinery operators have to purchase non-subsidised diesel.
"We hope that the government will include agricultural machinery in the Subsidised Diesel Control System so that farmers can enjoy stable prices."
He said as a long-term solution, the government should also consider raising the floor price of padi to RM3,000 per tonne.
"If the floor price is not reviewed, farmers will continue to face losses. We need comprehensive measures, not just short-term incentives," he added.