RM10 mln Bernas special aid for padi farmers in East Coast states from January

In a statement today, he said the aid would be given to padi farmers in the three East Coast states first, while those in other states would receive aid when the remaining Bernas special aid totalling R50 million is distributed.

Earlier this month, Bernas agreed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's request that an allocation of RM60 million be provided to help padi farmers nationwide.

Mohamad said padi farmers in the three states involved will receive this special assistance no later than Jan 16, with a total of 20,598 padi farmers standing to benefit from Bernas' contribution of RM250 for each of them.

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and agencies under it are finalising the list of farmers' names and (bank) account numbers in the three states to ensure the distribution process runs smoothly," said Mohamad. - BERNAMA