ALOR STAR: In 2024, floods wiped out RM158.7 million worth of padi in Kedah's Mada region, raising alarm over the escalating cost of climate volatility on the nation's food security.

The Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) said floods last year destroyed 57,323 tonnes of rice across 2,047 hectares of padi fields.

But it is not just the dramatic floods — creeping temperatures are an invisible threat to yields, agency leaders said.

"Flood damage is obvious, but rising temperatures will quietly eat into yields. "When it gets too hot, it affects chlorophyll formation and flowering in the rice.

"Once that happens, output will decline, but for now, it is under control," Mada chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh said.

Another long-term study projects yield reductions of up to 34.8 per cent by 2060 in granary states like Kedah, Perak and Kelantan if climate patterns persist.

Mada is focusing on fortifying the fundamentals of soil health and water management to cushion the impact, said Ismail. "Whether it's floods or heat spells, degraded soil means poor harvests.

"We're boosting fertility with microbial and organic inputs to make the crops more resilient," he said.

The agency is upgrading irrigation and drainage where possible, bracing for more extreme swings between too much and too little water.

While most Mada-controlled areas are shielded from saltwater intrusion, Ismail said that coastal padi zones in Kuala Muda and Sungai Petani were showing signs of soil salinity.

"We have about a decade, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) forecasts, to put adaptation strategies in place before harsher climate patterns take hold.

"We have to adapt before harsher climate patterns really set in. That means investing in better drainage, smart irrigation systems and soil resilience measures now," he added.

Farmers Organisation Authority (LPP) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar said climate-linked disasters were forcing a paradigm shift in farming.

"Floods, droughts, even seawater intrusion, these are no longer once-in-a-generation events. They're happening regularly, so we need cross-ministerial coordination and long-term planning to cope."

Mahfuz said farmers under the LPP are adjusting their routines, altering crop calendars or choosing different, more resilient crops in between padi seasons to avoid the worst flood months.

He said in Kedah, 816 LPP-member farmers suffered RM2.2 million in losses this year due to floods and drought, affecting over 3,400ha of farmland.

Nationwide, 37,912 LPP-member padi farmers have enrolled in Agrobank's Padi Crop Takaful Scheme introduced last year – a sign that farmers recognise the need for climate risk management.

"Preparedness is no longer optional. We have to reduce the risk of suffering losses to climate change and we need to learn from the past events" Mahfuz said.