Dr Daud
KOTA KINABALU: The State Government has taken numerous steps to address the needs of the smallholders in Sabah, especially those in the oil palm and rubber industry.
Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Dr Daud Yusof said the State Government is well aware of the decreasing price of rubber in the state.
“Due to this, in 2018, my ministry, through the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) had carried out the Additional Economic Activity Project. The main aim of this project is to provide additional source of income for the rubber smallholders in the state,” said Daud in his response to a question by Labuk assemblyman Abdul Rahman Kongkawang at the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.
He added that, for this year, the Federal Government had allocated RM4.485 million for the project and it would involve 1,814 rubber smallholders from the around the state.
This project may provide the smallholders with an estimated additional income of RM250 per month.
To reduce the burden of oil palm smallholders in the state, Daud said that the government had set aside a RM30 million allocation for the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certificate (MSPO) incentives for the year 2019.
He said that the government would also empower the state’s oil pam industry through the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).
On whether or not the streams at Sg Kolapis, Sg Bantun and Sg Bukit Besi would be included in the Artificial Reef Programme, Daud said that the streams would not be involved in the programme as the paths there are very shallow and narrow for boats to pass through.