The government has allocated RM32 million to provide immediate flood relief aid to Kedah and Penang farmers and livestock breeders whose crops and animals were destroyed in the recent floods, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced today.

Speaking when presenting aid to flood victims at the flood relief centre in Rantau Panjang, near him home town of Kepala Batas, he said the aid was being expedited.

"This is to ease their burden, particularly farmers and enable them to start planting according to schedule," he said in one of his first duties since becoming prime minister on Friday.

According to Bernama, more than 20 farmers and live stock breeders received the aid from the prime minister.

Abdullah said farmers and livestock breeders can obtain more aid from tomorrow at agriculture offices with the cooperation of district offices in the two states.

He said the aid would be in the form of padi seeds, urea fertilizer and equipment for ploughing and preparing the fields for sowing.

Cattle and goats and fish fry would also be provided to the affected farmers.

Padi fields damaged

A total of 12,880 hectares of padi fields in Kedah and Penang were damaged by the floods as well as fresh water fish ponds covering 146 hectares and 372 hectares of pastures.

In Penang alone some 4,000 padi farmers and livestock breeders were affected.

Of the RM32 million, Penang will get RM11.8 million - RM6.9 million in padi grains and fish fry while RM4.9 million for development and upgrading of infrastructure.

Abdullah also noted that agriculture was a vital sector of the economy and should be given prompt attention so that food supplies and agricultural produce were not affected. Any delay in assistance to padi farmers might result in the padi not being planted at all for the new season, he said.