KUCHING, Oct 8 2-26: Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Huang Tiong Sii said that the federal government remains committed to empowering and safeguarding the welfare of independent smallholders (PKP) nationwide, including in Sarawak, through various productivity incentives and continuous agricultural input support aimed at increasing their yields and income.
Huang was responding Lubok Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Angau anak Gingkoi who asked the Minister of Plantation and Commodities whether the government plans to provide continuous productivity incentives—including input assistance such as fertilizers—to independent oil palm smallholders who are active and compliant with MSPO certification, in order to enhance productivity and income.
He said the scope of input assistance under this Scheme includes the supply of quality oil palm seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, and equipment for plantation maintenance and the control of "Ganoderma" infestations, particularly during the early stages of growth.
"Furthermore, for independent smallholders actively cultivating mature plantations and complying with the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, the ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), continuously provides incentive support.
"This includes covering the full cost of MSPO certification audits, training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), technical advisory services on prudent fertilizer application via Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOC), and the distribution of physical incentives—such as chemical storage racks and personal protective equipment (PPE)—to eligible smallholders.
"Therefore, it can be concluded that the government has been and continues to provide productivity incentives to independent smallholders and is committed to further strengthening these efforts," Huang said in Parliament.
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