KUCHING, 24 AUGUST – The Sarawak government has allocated RM60 million to help oil palm and pepper smallholders in the state buy fertiliser for their crops.
At a cheque handing ceremony today, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said that many smallholders grow the commodities as their primary source of income.
However, he said their income relies mostly on the current world market prices and noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had greatly affected them as well.
“This financial aid programme is to lighten the burden they face as well as to motivate them to continuously increase their production,” Uggah said, adding that the aid would be implemented in stages beginning October.
Uggah – who is also the Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development – said each qualified smallholders would be given 12 bags of fertiliser.
It is estimated that some 58,000 of them are expected to benefit from the programme.
He added the aid would be distributed through the respective District Agriculture and the Area Farmer’s Organisation offices.
Uggah handed over the cheque to the Principal Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development Edwin Abit at his office this morning.
The presentation was also witnessed by the Director of the Agriculture Department Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet, SALCRA General Manager Joseph Blandoi and political secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Richard Rapu.
Meanwhile, Uggah also handed over a cheque amounting RM8 million to the Dayak Cultural Foundation today.
The grant is a matching grant to finance the development of its nine-storey office towers namely Tower A (Dayak Cultural Foundation) and Tower B (Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
On hand to receive the cheque was Dayak Cultural Foundation Finance and Property Manager Stanley Linggoh.
