BINTULU: Oil palm smallholders, including independent farmers or planters throughout the country, are encouraged to participate in the Sustainable Oil Palm Planters Cooperatives (KPSM) to increase their productivity.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said KPSM aimed at raising palm cultivation productivity and smallholders’ income via the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices by allowing them to sell fresh fruit bunch (FFB) in bulk directly to the mills at higher prices.
As of Sept 30 this year, he said, the number of KPSM formed nationwide reached 69 – including 18 in Sarawak, with 3,955 members.
“The number (of those participating in KPSM in Sarawak) is still quite low – considering we have 46,325 smallholders in Sarawak, thus, we encourage more to join the programme as it will make it easier for them to receive assistance from the government as well,” he said.
Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, said this after launching the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification (MSPO) strengthening programme for smallholders in Sarawak and the KPSM weighing centre in Tatau here today.
He also said a total of 69 KPSMs in the country, which have been equipped with weighing centres; with total sales of 401 tonne fresh fruit bunch per month per centre.
He said nearly 8,337 smallholders benefited from KPSM due to the offer of higher prices for fresh fruit bunches to the planters and growers.
Therefore, he hoped that the Tatau District KPSM Weighing Center Bhd could benefit its members, especially in the sale of fresh fruit bunches.
Fadillah also encouraged the replanting of aging oil palm trees over 25 years as the federal government has allocated RM100 million in the Budget 2024 as an incentive to smallholders in the form of grants and loans that would benefit smallholders nationwide.
At the same event, he also presented certificates from the MSPO to 10 oil palm smallholders.
Also present were Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii, Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB) chairman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang Leong Ming and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) deputy director general Dr Ramle Moslim.
