SARAWAK’s Native Customary Rights (NCR) land development is gaining momentum with 900,438 hectares of agricultural projects approved, benefitting 219,469 landowners.
Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, said the ministry had received an allocation of RM200,000 from the federal government under the Program Khas Bumiputera (PKB).
It is to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of NCR land development among NCR landowners, community leaders, and potential investors.
“A total of 16 engagement sessions have been conducted, and eight applications covering 15,000 hectares have been submitted to the Ministry for further verification and consideration, and these applications are administrated by the One Stop Committee (OSC) and State Task Force (STF) on NCR Land Development to ensure that it is developed sustainably and benefits both landowners and investors,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech on Tuesday (Nov 19).
He added that under the joint venture model, approximately 91,600 hectares of NCR land in 47 NCR Land Development Areas are being developed.
“Joint Venture Companies (JVC) with the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) as the managing agent represents 18,051 registered participants.
“As of Sept 30 this year, the NCR Land Development JV Projects have generated RM605.0 million in upfront payments, annual incentives, and dividends paid to the participating landowners,” he added.
Dr Rundi said that the government had approved the leasing model of development in March 2024, along with the existing joint venture model, to accelerate the development of NCR land.
“From April to October this year, there were 21 applications for the development of oil palm, coffee, and tree planting, covering 29,604 hectares, and 10 applications were approved, covering 13,931 hectares,” he said.
Dr Rundi stated that NCR land is recognised as agricultural land, and the ministry will continue to support NCR land for new oil palm planting.
“The Ministry will continue to promote sustainable agricultural practices and encourage smallholders to adopt the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, which provides an important framework for ensuring the sustainability and traceability of palm oil productions,” he said.
