KUANTAN ,8/8/2001(NSTP) - The authorities have approved replantingexercise on 18,998ha of oil palm smallholdings in the State, mostlybelonging to Felda settlers, next year.

The hecterage is based on the applications received as of June 30, theclosing date for the settlers to do so.

State Rural Development and Settler Affairs Committee chairman DatukShahiruddin Abdul Moin said the applications were received by the threeFelda regional offices.

"Of the total, Kuantan region tops the list with 6,600ha followed byTemerloh (5,874ha) and Jengka (5,452ha)," he said.

Shahiruddin said the affected Felda land schemes were Keratong 1, 2 and 3,and Chini 2 in Kuantan; Mempaga 1, Bukit Damar, Tementi, Chemomoi andMayam in Temerloh; and Jengka 13 and 15, Kota Gelanggi 1 and 2, and SungaiRetang in Jengka.

"The 18,998ha belongs to 4,508 settlers," he said, adding thatapplications for replanting by the settlers were handled by the managementof the respective land schemes which in turn submitted them to theMalaysian Palm Oil Board.

He said one of the Government's strategies to reduce the supply of palmoil in the market was to encourage the felling of trees which were 25years and above.

The Government, he said, had launched an incentive scheme to encouragereplanting of rubber and oil palm trees.

Under the scheme, an incentive of RM1,000 per hectare will be paid tosmallholders, including Felda settlers, who chose to replant theirholdings with oil palm and RM1,100 per hectare for those who opt forrubber trees.

Payment of the incentive will be made once the old oil palm trees havebeen felled. The felling of the old trees must be carried out before Dec31, 2001.

Shahiruddin said the payment of incentive, which was introduced on March 8this year, was subject to the conditions set by the MPOB.

One of the conditions is that the smallholders must obtain the oil palmsaplings from suppliers and nurseries approved by the MOPB.