Feb 2013
Beluran: The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has approved 2,432 applications from smallholders for the planting of new oil palm (TBSPK) in Sabah involving total area of 8,439.58 hectares. MPOB Board Member, Datuk Tan Yong Gee said for the replanting of oil palm (TSSPK), 1077 applications involving 5,325.27 hectares had been approved.
From these, 325 applications covering an area of 1,256.77 hectares for TBSPK had been approved in Beluran district, while 106 applications involving 484.36 hectares had been approved in the District of Kecil Telupid.
"As for TSSPK, a total of 485 applications had been approved covering an area of 2,166.22 hectares in Beluran, while in Telupid there has been no applications yet." he said.
Tan said this to reporters after the official opening of MPOB Beluran branch office and a certification caremony for oil palm smallholders at the UPKO building here yesterday. In his speech earlier, Tan said the government encouraged smallholders to cut oil palm which were 25-years old and above. In this area, the government has set aside RM1.02 billion for the 2012-2013 period under the National Key Economic Areas to help smallholders in the replanting of oil palm, he said.
Assistance in the form of RM9,000 per hectare had been prepared including the supply of quality seedlings, agriculture input and management of the trees in accordance with Good Agriculture Practice to ensure high production. He said smallholders who had less than 2.5 hectare in planting area would be considered for an assistance scheme amounting to RM500 monthly for a period of two years.
Tan said MPOB's officers were also prepared to offer assistance to smallholders in the Beluran area in order to help push up good agriculture practice and in the application of new technologies in the planting of oil palm. Meanwhile MPOB's branch office in Beluran started its operations officially here yesterday to make it easier for the smallholders to get the services of MPOB staff as well as the assistance that have been made available to them by the government.
He also called on the small farmers here to take up the opportunities being given to them by the government including the certification programme which would enable them to contribute to the competitiveness of the country's oil palm industry. - Bernama
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