About 10,000 farmers in areas under the Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority (KADA) suffer losses amounting to RM150 million due to the drought which affected their padi harvest.

KADA chairperson Annuar Musa said the farmers’ crop yield dropped by about 120,000 tonnes for this year’s harvesting season because of the drought.

The dry season resulted in the level of Sungai Kelantan to be at a critical level and this affected operations of three pump houses which channelled water to the padi fields for irrigation, he told reporters after visiting the main pump house at Kemubu near Machang today.

He said the affected padi farming areas involved 8,307 hectares in the Kota Baru district, Pasir Mas (6,527 hectare) and Bachok ((5,706 hectare).

Annuar said he would request the assistance of the federal and state governments to address the problem.

- Bernama