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Smallholders Should Plant Two Crops To Cushion Against Price Fluctuations - Uggah
Smallholders Should Plant Two Crops To Cushion Against Price Fluctuations - Uggah
16/06/2015 (Bernama) - Smallholders nationwide can cushion themselves against price fluctuations if they plant at least two crops, said Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), it would be the government's policy to get them to plant two crops so that they could continue to enjoy good income.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the pepper garden of Julau member of Parliament Datuk Joseph Salang at Km 6, KJD Road here today, he said it was the ministry's target that by 2020, farmers would be able to earn a minimum monthly income of RM4,000.
"For instance if you plant both rubber and pepper, you can rely on pepper when the price of rubber drops.
"Of course there will be the land problem. But for those with the land, we strongly advise them to do so. We are also looking at various other approaches as well," he said.
On pepper he said, under the 11MP, the government would encourage greater downstream processing.
"Sarawak, the country's biggest producer of pepper, is producing some 28,000 tons annually from 16,000 hectares of farms which is largely sold as raw seeds.
"We want to reach a stage later where 90 per cent will be exported as processed items like even perfume," he said adding that this would spur greater added value, generate better income, more job opportunities and economic activities.
Uggah said the same policy also applied for other commodities like cocoa, palm oil or rubber.
Meanwhile, he said Salang's pepper garden with over 7,000 vines on two separate sites, totalling about four hectares in size, could be the nucleus to work out some form of downstream processing.
The garden is the biggest non commercial one in the state.
He said other smallholders in the area could operate, for instance, to form a co-operative for it to be viable.
He said under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), it would be the government's policy to get them to plant two crops so that they could continue to enjoy good income.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the pepper garden of Julau member of Parliament Datuk Joseph Salang at Km 6, KJD Road here today, he said it was the ministry's target that by 2020, farmers would be able to earn a minimum monthly income of RM4,000.
"For instance if you plant both rubber and pepper, you can rely on pepper when the price of rubber drops.
"Of course there will be the land problem. But for those with the land, we strongly advise them to do so. We are also looking at various other approaches as well," he said.
On pepper he said, under the 11MP, the government would encourage greater downstream processing.
"Sarawak, the country's biggest producer of pepper, is producing some 28,000 tons annually from 16,000 hectares of farms which is largely sold as raw seeds.
"We want to reach a stage later where 90 per cent will be exported as processed items like even perfume," he said adding that this would spur greater added value, generate better income, more job opportunities and economic activities.
Uggah said the same policy also applied for other commodities like cocoa, palm oil or rubber.
Meanwhile, he said Salang's pepper garden with over 7,000 vines on two separate sites, totalling about four hectares in size, could be the nucleus to work out some form of downstream processing.
The garden is the biggest non commercial one in the state.
He said other smallholders in the area could operate, for instance, to form a co-operative for it to be viable.