KUCHING: A total of 13,176 project participants of Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authorities (Salcra), whose lands are in production will receive dividend payment amounting to RM60.77 million for this year’s financial year.
Salcra chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas in a meeting on Tuesday (Nov 16) has approved the dividend payment, 80 percent higher than the RM33.10 million paid out last year.
Salcra said the payment shall be made in two stages credited direct to the participants’ bank accounts, for which the first payment shall be made in January and the second in July 2022.
Its general manager Joseph Blandoi, in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 17), said the overall performance for this year was very much influenced by two major factors, namely the Covid-19 pandemic and palm oil price.
“The pandemic had affected many aspects of Salcra’s operation, especially the oil palm estates and implementation of various initiatives to improve performance under the Transformation Roadmap.
“As most of the workers are foreigners, the recruitment of either new or replacement of the retired ones could not be carried out due to cross-border restrictions, said Blandoi.
He added that this resulted in shortage of workers to carry out field operations, especially harvesters.
To cushion the impact, Blandoi said the management had carried out several initiatives such as focusing on productivity improvement through increased estate mechanisation, especially infield evacuation, engaging contractors and recruitment of local workers.
“These had impacted positively, as despite having 47 percent of the harvesters’ requirement, the production only experienced a shortfall of 38 percent from target.
“The favourable crude palm oil price, that hovered above RM3,600 per metric tonne throughout the year also enhanced the financial performance.
“Going forward, the management is embarking on three strategies to improve productivity of the estates namely increasing mechanisation; introducing estate agro-preneur programme to attract local contractors and Compensation and Remuneration of Estate Workers (CREW) to attract local bodies to work in the estates,” he said.
Apart from that, the general manager advised all participants whose lands are in production to update their bank account with Salcra Participant Development Department or through the estates’ office where their lands are developed to ensure successful crediting of payment.
In the meeting, Blandoi said the Board was also briefed on the progress of survey and issuance of titles to lands that are being developed by Salcra.
“As at Oct 31, we have developed 27,229 lots comprising 27,198 individual lots and 101 communal lots with an approximate area of 56,300 hectares stretching from Lundu to Kalaka,” Blandoi added.
“For the individual lots, 21,070 lots (38,870 ha) have been surveyed, of which 17,006 lots (32,000 ha) have been issued with land titles and 4,004 lots are in various administrative stages before issuance of title.
“The balance of 6,128 lots shall be surveyed and expected to complete within two years,” he said.
Hence, he said Salcra and the Land and Survey Department Sarawak had embarked on seven initiatives to achieve a new policy that all newly developed areas are to be surveyed within the first three years of project development.
