Sarawak Smallholders Can Expect Lucrative Income

KUCHING, April 7 (Bernama) -- Thanks to the numerous government programmes, smallholders throughout the country will be among the fortunate groups who will earn lucrative income by the year 2020.

Smallholders in Serian, 65km from here, have one of the necessary elements to become successful farmers -- the right acreage for farming.

In addition, they enjoy various government assistance such as free supply of seedlings, fertilisers, weed killers, guidance in planting technique and replanting aid.

Beside the roads to Serian district from here, one can see agricultural land suitable for the planting of various crops such as oil palm, rubber, pepper, bananas, pineapples, guavas and durians.

Most of the residents here belong to the Bidayuh and Iban communities.

Much of the land have not been developed because of the lack of knowledge on crop management, absence of proper equipment and quality clones/seedlings.

There are also smallholders who are unaware of the availability of the various assistance provided by the government agencies to help the farmers especially the newcomers who do not have the capital to start planting.

However, some of the smallholders in Serian have already participated in the programme and earning lucrative income which has raised their living standard.

For example, smallholders in Kampung Lebor, Serian who participated in the cloning expansion project of the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) said they were getting better income through the assistance provided by the government.

The project is under the Ninth Malaysia Plan where the government allocated RM8.4 million involving 1,550 smallholders working on 1,450 hectares of land in 36 locations in Sarawak.

Farmers under the scheme would receive aid such as fertilisers, herbicides and premium clones capable of producing latex that is double the amount produced from normal clones.

"The MRB premium clone is capable of producing 20 kilos of latex from a three-hectare plot compared to only 10 kilos previously," said Nicha Anak Jibeng, 48 from Kampung Lebor.

He said that besides producing more latex, the premium clone has also been proven to be more disease resistant.

Another smallholder, Seon Anak Sema, 52, from Kampong Seromah, Bau who is also using the MRB premium clone, said that the clone could generate an income of RM3,000 per month.

Another crop that yields good income to the smallholders in Sarawak is oil palm where the government is also placing emphasis as the industry contributes significantly to the national economy.

The oil palm industry is categorised as one of the main thrusts under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) because the increase in the productivity and income of the smallholders is in line with the objectives of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to achieve the status of a high-income nation by 2020.

Previously, the commodities industry such oil palm, rubber, cocoa and pepper was considered as the best way to eradicate poverty in the rural areas.

In order to achieve the national productivity for oil palm, which is 26 metric tons of fresh fruit bunches per hectare by 2020, the government provided an allocation of RM297 million for the period 2011 until 2013 to assist the smallholders in replanting their land with quality seedlings.

Under the programme, a subsidy of RM7,000 per hectare is provided through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) for the supply of quality seedlings, agricultural inputs and crop management according to Proper Agricultural Practice.

-- BERNAMA

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