26/09/2011 (Bernama) - Felcra Berhad has allocated RM85 million as payment in dividends to its 18,000 members in Pahang this year.

According to Felcra chief executive officer Datuk Juzilman Basir, the total dividends this year were higher than the RM75 million paid out last year.

"The higher dividends are due to the better prices of palm oil and rubber in the global market, resulting in more lucrative income to its settlers," he said when speaking at the Pahang Felcra Aidilfitri celebrations here.

He said Felcra had issued four payments in dividens to its participants, with the third payment made just before Aidilfitri recently. The fourth payment would be made early next year.

"Settlers would be getting dividends of between RM3,500 and more than RM6,000, depending on the area and output of farm products."

According to Juzilman, if palm oil and rubber stayed or exceeded the level of RM650 per tonne for palm oil and RM7.50 per kilogramme for rubber, settlers could be receiving higher dividends next year.

He said unrest, war and natural disasters in some countries had pushed the prices of commodities higher in the global market.