15 Feb 2019 (The Star Online) JOHOR BARU: The Farmers’ Organisation Authority (LPP) plans to develop a large-scale coconut plantation in Johor as part of the government’s plan to help farmers cope with the fluctuating price of crude palm oil (CPO).

Its chairman Datuk Mazlan Aliman said LPP has yet to identify the exact location for the coconut plantation but was looking at areas in Pengerang and Kota Tinggi

“We will send a formal request to the Johor agriculture department to look for the budget to plant Matag and Pandan-type coconuts at the area.

“It is still in the planning stages but we foresee it happening in the near future,” he said during a handing-over ceremony of a cold-truck to Kota Tinggi district LPP.

He added that the move to plant coconuts was to help farmers cope with the fluctuations in the CPO price and to diversify the agricultural industry here.

There are about 650,000 oil palm smallholders and farmers whose earnings have been badly affected by the drop in CPO prices over the past year.

“The government is very concerned about this. The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is currently studying ways to improve the industry nationwide,” he said, adding that the coconut plantation was among possible solutions being considered.

On another matter, Mazlan added that the ministry was also looking into further developing the pineapple industry in Pontian.“Currently, the pineapples are being exported to other countries like the United Arab Emirates and we are looking into bringing Malaysian pineapples to more countries.

He said the ministry would be getting advice from pineapple experts here to improve the development of the fruit in other parts of the country.

Mazlan said Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin will visit the pineapple plantation here in March to look into its potential in developing the country’s economy.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2019/02/15/diversifying-agriculture-industry/#ls6Batt8KfGdFQb8.99