LUBOK ANTU: The Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) has introduced several initiatives to help boost production and income as well as obtain titles for owners of native customary rights (NCR) lands in its plantations.
Its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said Salcra had engaged the services of Sime Darby consultants to study how it could manage its plantations for maximum yields.
Sime Darby is a well-established palm oil giant with plantations nationwide and in Indonesia.
“We want to learn from them how to increase yields in our plantations. The objective is to increase our productivity from 15 tonnes per hectare now to 20 tonnes.
“The consultants are expected to hand over their reports soon,” he said when officiating at a community policing programme at Rh Meritian Melintang in Merudun here yesterday.
Uggah who is Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development added that in line with current trend, more modern technologies would be utilised.
“We will use drones to monitor the health of the crop. Then there is also application of the Internet of Things (IoT) to identify the right fertiliser based on the soil and palms condition.
“We are also introducing cattle rearing in plantation areas to play the roles of natural weeders,” he said.
Uggah said some 1,000 head of cattle imported from Australia had been released in the plantation areas here. In this regard too, Salcra planned to set up breeding areas to produce more cows.
On the land titles, he said Salcra’s own team of surveyors had just completed their training with the Land and Survey Department.
“They will be deployed to the respective regions and estates soon to start Section 18 surveying work on our NCR land schemes.
“We have some 300 personnel trained as surveyors. I hope when owners eventually have the individual land titles, their land will not change hands immediately,” he emphasised.
On the Covid-19 pandemic, Uggah urged all community leaders to do their part in protecting their anakbiaks (residents).
“Make sure they follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) properly and not allow any foreigners to enter their longhouses.
“The Covid-19 is a very dangerous and contagious disease but it is also preventable,” he said.
At the function, Uggah presented appointment letters to local community leaders and secretaries of village development and security committees (JKKKs).
