JOHOR BARU: The Quality Palm Oil Seedlings Assistance Scheme has helped 441 farmers since it was launched in Nov 2005.

According to Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam, Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was informing more farmers in Peninsular Malaysia about the scheme as it was launched here only in July.

“We will put up posters so that more plantation owners will know about it,” he said.

There are 126,000 independent palm oil plantation smallholders nationwide.

Beneficiary: Mariadas (right) receiving the palm oil seedlings from Vijayaratnam in Kulai recently.
He said that a majority of farmers from Sabah and Sarawak, who applied for the support, were thinking of planting oil palm on their abandoned land.

Vijayaratnam said about 10% of oil palm smallholders in the country were independent and had plantations of less than 40ha.

He said that farmers who own less then 7ha (Sabah and Sarawak) and 5ha (Peninsular Malaysia) could apply for the aid.

“MPOB expects to assist 5,000 smallholders under the scheme as it has set aside RM25mil for the purpose,” said Vijayaratnam.

A beneficiary, S. Mariadas, 49, said he was grateful for the aid because the oil palm trees in his plantation were more than 20 years old.

“I applied for the assistance on Oct 30, and after the officers inspected my plantation, they told me I had qualified for the aid,” he said.

The father of five from Kulai was among 46 smallholders who received the seedlings at Dewan Raya Putra, Kulai, recently.