28/09/2011 (Borneo Post) - Rural farmers must always aim to reap as much as possible from all their agricultural endeavour, said Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang.

He said they should not be content with getting just enough to go by (cukup makan).

“Get rid of this “cukup makan” syndrome and go for higher productivity and enjoy more income.

“When you have extra rice harvest, tap more rubber trees and plant more oil palm, and you will always have extra income to afford a much better living standard,” he told a gathering at the 30-door Mambang anak Kana longhouse in Sungai Lingah near here Saturday night.

Salang said that though the government had always helped them through its minor rural projects programme, it had not been easy.

“Thus, the federal government has now identified two more options, namely the rubber and oil palm smallholding cultivation and the people should grab these opportunities without any hesitation,” he said.

On rubber, he said the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority(Risda) along with the Malaysian Rubber Board and the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) would organise a one-day free seminar on rubber cultivation for interested farmers on Sept 30 at the Julau Community Hall in Julau.

On oil palm, he said he was glad to note that more and more people, such as in Pakan, had applied through him to plant the crop.

“At a recent gathering, for instance, I had endorsed not less than 600 new applications.

“Oil palm smallholding is a very lucrative activity as those who have indulged in it can testify. Some are known to earn up to RM10,000 or even more clean income monthly depending on the size of their plot,” he said.

He said it was important that the farmers sought advice and assistance from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) on the new venture.

MPOB, for a start, would provide 300 seedlings and fertiliser free for those whose applications were approved, he said.

He also told them that there was no shortcut to success and that they had to work hard and work diligently for it. — Bernama