FARMING ASSISTANCE: Teng (third left) presents aid to a farmer as (from left) Makup, Florence, Apoi and others look on.
SARIKEI: The people should value the continuous assistance provided by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to improve their lives, said Modernisation of Agriculture (Food Industries) Assistant Minister Datuk David Teng Lung Chi.
Speaking when officiating at the ‘Program Bantuan Input Pertanian dan Perladangan Bagi Peningkatan Pengeluaran Lada’ at the premises of Malaysian Pepper Board here yesterday afternoon, Teng reminded farmers to make full use of the assistance as it was one of the BN government’s ways to improve their socio-economic status and the government did not demand any form of repayment.
“If any, the government only asks for the people to continue extending their undivided support. Then again, by supporting the BN government, the people are doing good for themselves,” he added.
He told the people that if they dissociate themselves from BN they stand to
lose a lot in terms
of development and assistance, adding
that without a BN representative around they would have no representation in the government.
Earlier, a representative of the director-general of Malaysian Pepper Board Florence Sanjan explained that the programme was aimed at increasing pepper plantation acreage; increasing production and productivity through Good Agriculture Practices (GAP)and encouraging production of value-added pepper products such as cream white pepper and export quality pepper.
Under the programme, farmers are encouraged
to embark on new
pepper farming scheme, replanting and improvement of pepper quality.
During the function, 47 pepper farmers received assistance in the form of fertiliser, pesticide, weedicide and equipment.
Among those present were Malaysian Pepper Board Northern Regional director Makup Kelon and officer in charge of Sarikei branch office Apoi Wan.