TANAH MERAH, Sept 24 (NSTP) - Settlers who engage the service of Felda toreplant the old oil palm trees at their holdings stand to get betterreturns.Felda general manager (Kelantan region) Rosla Ali said the seedlingssupplied to them could boost production to up to 45 tonnes for everyhectare.

"In addition, we provide them with fertiliser cheaply and that they canuse it first and pay later. We are also providing advisery service so thatthey can get satisfactory returns," he said.

He said Felda was encouraging settlers to follow its replanting programmebecause the authority did not want them to encounter problems if they wereto replant on their own.

Yesterday, Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz called on Felda settlers inthe State whose oil palm trees were due for replanting to opt for theclustered programme instead of doing it individually.

Nik Aziz made the call when launching the oil palm replanting programmefor settlers at Felda Kemahang 1.

Rosla said settlers in that land scheme, which was opened in 1974, wouldbe supplied with quality seedlings.

Of the 422 settlers at the 2,611ha land scheme, 193 have so far opted forthe replanting programme initiated by the authority.

Rosal said Felda would not force the remaining 262 to engage its serviceshould they want to do it on their own.

"But for their own good, it is best that they participate in ourprogramme." Rosla said the settlers should not try on unproven replantingmethods.

"Felda has the expertise and we have the experience in dealing withsettlers who have failed after insisting that they want to replant ontheir own.

"In Jengka, for example, those who have gone on their own produce only 15tonnes per hectare compared to 30 tonnes from the same hectarage by theircounterparts who participate in Felda replanting programme," he said.

Rosal said those who were really serious in wanting to replant on theirown should emulate what Felda was doing.

"They must first get rid of the weeds and use standard seedlings to ensureoptimum production," he said.