SARIKEI, Aug 15 2026: A total of 93,819 individuals in Sarawak have been identified as eligible to apply for the BUDI Agri-Commodity Programme which provides a cash contribution of RM400 per month to smallholders in the oil palm, rubber, cocoa, pepper and kenaf sectors.
Minister of Plantations and Commodities Dr Noraini Ahmad explained that the assistance is among efforts to help smallholders facing pressure from input and fuel costs, in addition to the challenges of labour shortages, weather changes, crop disease attacks and difficulties in bringing produce to market.
“The government has made an announcement on the expansion of the BUDI Agri-Commodity Programme to farmers and smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak and based on records up to June 2026, " she said.
“A total of 93,819 individuals in Sarawak have been identified as eligible to apply, subject to the conditions that have been set, that is why agency representatives, officer representatives are here to provide explanations on the registration eligibility and application procedures,” she said when officiating the MADANI Agri-Commodity Carnival Programme at the Sarikei Central Hall.
She said that support for smallholders should not be limited to providing incentives, but rather should be followed by efforts to increase the value of agri-commodity products.
The minister also said that the application of modern technology in pepper crop management is able to increase the production efficiency and productivity of smallholders, thus supporting efforts to strengthen the country's commodity industry.
This matter was highlighted during a working visit by the minister to the pepper farm owned by Nalong Jantan in Nanga Langu today.
Also participating was the Deputy Minister of Plantations and Commodities cum Member of Parliament for Sarikei who is also the Repok State Legislative Member (SLM) Huang Tiong Sii.
The visit gave her the opportunity to see for herself the use of technology and innovation at the farm level which can help farmers manage crops more systematically and increase production.
Among the technologies highlighted were the Dr.Lada application, the Piperspectral Project and the use of drones to monitor crop conditions and provide information to support farm management more effectively.
The use of fertigation systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) and fertilization methods were also seen as modern approaches to optimise crop care and the use of agricultural inputs.
The mechanization aspect was also given attention through demonstrations of pepper processing equipment at the farm level, including Pepper Splitters and Spiral separators, which can facilitate product handling and reduce dependence on traditional methods.
During the field trip session, the delegation also had the opportunity to hear firsthand the challenges and needs of smallholders, especially regarding farm management, increased productivity and efforts to increase income.
Sharing with farmers provided an overview of the actual condition of crops in the field and helped ensure that the technology and innovations introduced were in line with the needs of pepper farmers.
The program was followed by the symbolic harvesting of pepper fruits, which demonstrated the potential of using technology in improving operational efficiency and yield handling at the farm level.
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