MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Govt has Spent RM1.14b to Help Smallholders
Govt has Spent RM1.14b to Help Smallholders
12/08/2014 (Borneo Post) - The government has forked out RM1.14 billion from 2011 till now to help about 200,000 oil palm smallholders nationwide to improve their productivity and income.
Uggah (left) presents the Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster certificate to a recipient, as Dr Choo (right) and Wan Mohammad look on.
Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the various schemes created to help the planters were Oil Palm Smallholders Replanting (TSSPK), Oil Palm Smallholders New Planting (TBSPK), Cantas (motorised oil palm fruit harvester) Discount, and Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster.
He said TSSPK and TBSPK provided assistance to small farmers with land holdings of less than 100 acres.
“The assistance provided is RM7,500 per hectare (ha) in Peninsular Malaysia and RM9,000 per ha in Sabah and Sarawak to finance the cost of land preparations and supply of seedlings, fertilizers,
and herbicides.
“The government also finances the cost of fertilizers at the rate of RM3,000 per hectare for oil palm below three years to help those planters who do not receive assistance under TSSPK and TBSPK,” he said at the ‘Oil Palm Smallholders National Conference’ here yesterday.
Uggah said the average production of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from smallholders in the peninsula, Sarawak and Sabah were 19.14 tonnes, 17.84 tonnes and 15.48 tonnes per ha respectively.
He said the national average of FFBs production was 18.21 tonnes per ha, and the government had targeted to increase it to 26 tonnes per ha by 2020.
For the estate sector, he said, the FFB production average was 27 tonnes per ha.
“I am proud to say that 880 smallholders, out of 200,000 nationwide, managed to reach 30 tonnes per ha production, and they are entitled to join the 30 Tonnes Club.
“Club members are examples to other smallholders, and they enjoy benefits given by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
“I hope 90 per cent of the smallholders can join the club by 2020.”
Nineteen papers were presented during the conference.
Present were Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon, Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities secretary general Datuk Himmah Singh, MPOB chairman Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad and MPOB director general Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May.
At the function, Uggah launched a new fertiliser produced by MPOB.
Uggah (left) presents the Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster certificate to a recipient, as Dr Choo (right) and Wan Mohammad look on.
Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the various schemes created to help the planters were Oil Palm Smallholders Replanting (TSSPK), Oil Palm Smallholders New Planting (TBSPK), Cantas (motorised oil palm fruit harvester) Discount, and Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster.
He said TSSPK and TBSPK provided assistance to small farmers with land holdings of less than 100 acres.
“The assistance provided is RM7,500 per hectare (ha) in Peninsular Malaysia and RM9,000 per ha in Sabah and Sarawak to finance the cost of land preparations and supply of seedlings, fertilizers,
and herbicides.
“The government also finances the cost of fertilizers at the rate of RM3,000 per hectare for oil palm below three years to help those planters who do not receive assistance under TSSPK and TBSPK,” he said at the ‘Oil Palm Smallholders National Conference’ here yesterday.
Uggah said the average production of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from smallholders in the peninsula, Sarawak and Sabah were 19.14 tonnes, 17.84 tonnes and 15.48 tonnes per ha respectively.
He said the national average of FFBs production was 18.21 tonnes per ha, and the government had targeted to increase it to 26 tonnes per ha by 2020.
For the estate sector, he said, the FFB production average was 27 tonnes per ha.
“I am proud to say that 880 smallholders, out of 200,000 nationwide, managed to reach 30 tonnes per ha production, and they are entitled to join the 30 Tonnes Club.
“Club members are examples to other smallholders, and they enjoy benefits given by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
“I hope 90 per cent of the smallholders can join the club by 2020.”
Nineteen papers were presented during the conference.
Present were Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon, Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities secretary general Datuk Himmah Singh, MPOB chairman Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad and MPOB director general Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May.
At the function, Uggah launched a new fertiliser produced by MPOB.