He said his ministry had attempted cloud seeding at the water pump house in Kemubu and the Kemubu agricultural development authority (Kada) dam in Salor Pasir Mas, but these efforts have not yielded the desired results.

“The hot and dry conditions in Kelantan are severe. While it rains in Kuala Lumpur, it does not fall in the areas where it is most needed in the rest of the country.

“We are working on cloud seeding and are also considering deepening the water pump area at the Kemubu dam to address this issue,” he said.

Mohamad, who is better known as Mat Sabu, said a long-term solution would involve substantial investment in irrigation, particularly in the Kemubu and Kada areas.

Despite these challenges, he said the rice supply in the country remains adequate.

The agriculture and food security ministry previously said that as of June 18, the national rice stock stood at 1,128,165 metric tonnes, and that it was adequate to meet the country’s needs for the next five to six months.

Previously, Kada chairman Muhammad Husain said that while the authority is the second-largest rice granary area in the country, its yield lags behind other regions.

Kada’s average yield is 4.1 metric tonnes per hectare, compared with 4.32 metric tonnes in northwest Selangor, 4.24 metric tonnes in the Muda agricultural development authority in Kedah, and 5.05 metric tonnes in Penang.