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Uggah: Subsidy of Oil Palm Seedlings Never Withdrawn
Uggah: Subsidy of Oil Palm Seedlings Never Withdrawn
10/07/2013 (Borneo Post) - Subsidy of oil palm seedlings for smallholders in Sarawak has never been withdrawn as claimed by certain quarters.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said it is inaccurate to say that the government has stopped such subsidy when the programme is still on-going.
“No, there’s no such thing. The government never stopped the subsidy. It is still on-going. Of course from time to time, due to some issues, there could be some delay in the production of seedlings.
“Moreover, there are also so many applications received and certainly they cannot be approved all at one time. But to say the subsidy has been stopped that is not true,” he said.
Uggah, who is Betong MP, said this when asked to comment on the statement by DAP Betong branch chairman Stephen Dass that he had received many complaints from farmers in the area that they had been unable to obtain subsidised oil palm seedlings.
“We are utterly disappointed and appeal to the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities to continue the subsidy of oil palm seedlings to smallholders.
“This is the only good programme from the BN federal government for the Dayaks, which can uplift the economy and improve the community’s financial independence,” he noted in the statement.
Dass also claimed that upon further investigation into the matter, they had found that Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) had stopped the subsidy after receiving a directive from the state government that subsidy should not be given to farmers whose lands were without titles.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said it is inaccurate to say that the government has stopped such subsidy when the programme is still on-going.
“No, there’s no such thing. The government never stopped the subsidy. It is still on-going. Of course from time to time, due to some issues, there could be some delay in the production of seedlings.
“Moreover, there are also so many applications received and certainly they cannot be approved all at one time. But to say the subsidy has been stopped that is not true,” he said.
Uggah, who is Betong MP, said this when asked to comment on the statement by DAP Betong branch chairman Stephen Dass that he had received many complaints from farmers in the area that they had been unable to obtain subsidised oil palm seedlings.
“We are utterly disappointed and appeal to the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities to continue the subsidy of oil palm seedlings to smallholders.
“This is the only good programme from the BN federal government for the Dayaks, which can uplift the economy and improve the community’s financial independence,” he noted in the statement.
Dass also claimed that upon further investigation into the matter, they had found that Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) had stopped the subsidy after receiving a directive from the state government that subsidy should not be given to farmers whose lands were without titles.