MALAYSIAN Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) expects rice production in Malaysia to fall by 30-percent once global temperatures rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius. Climate Change Programme Deputy Director Mohammad Hariz Abdul Rahman told BFM News, the country is already experiencing weakened rice productivity, especially on agricultural lands in the east coast.
CLIP: “For sure, climate change, from extreme temperature, El Nino, droughts and flooding, are expected to reduce crop harvest and food availability. A prolonged dry spell in certain areas has caused serious effects on yield, especially rice cultivation. Because rice cultivation is intensive water consumption, so because of the drought pattern, it will affect towards this reduction in yield.” –BFM Radio
