17/08/2007 (Bernama), BANGI - The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is implementing various programmes for smallholders including providing planting materials such as quality seedlings to increase the production of oil palm.

MPOB director general Datuk Dr Mohd Basri Wahid said that under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), the government has allocated RM25 million to supply quality planting materials such as high-yield seedlings for smallholders.

He said through this, smallholders would be able to increase the yield of palm oil to 27-30 tonnes per hectare per year from 14 tonnes per hectare per year currently.

"Production wise, what we are emphasizing right now is towards increasing palm oil productivity per unit area among smallholders as they constitute about 10 percent of the country's land under oil palm," he told reporters here Friday.

Dr Mohd Basri said MPOB has also introduced a fertilizer cluster scheme which involves millers, dealers and smallholders.

Under the scheme, smallholders would be able to get fertilizer credit from dealers.

Fertilizers are important inputs to ensure good yields to improve the productivity of palm oil.

Currently, there are about 300,000 smallholders in the country.

Dr Mohd Basri said MPOB was also looking for high-yielding oil palm clones in its efforts to raise productivity by 30-40 percent.

-- BERNAMA