KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Reuters) – The El Nino weather pattern, which is expected to bring hot-dry weather across Asia from this month, could cause crop yields in Malaysia to fall by an average of between 8% and 10% this year, the country’s economic minister said on Thursday.
El Nino was expected to bring higher temperatures, while rainfall may drop sharply by as much as 40% to 60% in some states, adding to the existing challenges arising from an energy crisis sparked by the war in Iran, Minister Akmal Nasir told a regular briefing.
• Severe El Nino conditions in 2015 and 2016, which saw temperatures climb above 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F), caused school closures and cut palm oil output in Malaysia, the world’s second largest producer of the commodity, by up to 18% at the time, Akmal said.
• The government has taken early steps to mitigate El Niño’s impact, including round-the-clock weather monitoring and cloud seeding operations. The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry has also been tasked to brief state governments on the risks, Akmal added.
• Separately, Akmal said Malaysia was expected to sign a long-term hydrocarbons agreement in Turkmenistan on June 19, without specifying details.
• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday that Malaysia’s state oil firm Petronas may secure access to one of the world’s largest gas fields in Turkmenistan following a deal expected to be signed this month, media reported.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway)
