KUCHING: The Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) has welcomed the RM1.4 billion federal allocation for oil palm replanting under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
The group described the funding as a timely move to rejuvenate ageing plantations, particularly for independent smallholders in Sarawak.
In a statement, Doppa highlighted the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities’ commitment to sustaining Malaysia’s palm oil industry.
Citing MPOB 2023 data, the association noted Sarawak has 256,738 hectares of oil palm plantations managed by 46,584 independent smallholders.
“It is imperative that Sarawak is given priority in terms of special allocation and targeted replanting efforts,“ Doppa said.
The association warned that the current two per cent replanting rate could disrupt local and global supply chains if unaddressed.
Doppa urged simplified application processes, noting over 70 per cent of Sarawak’s smallholders face productivity issues due to ageing palms.
“Slow land status verification remains a key obstacle in releasing incentives and soft loans through Agrobank,“ it added.
The group proposed using the Department of Agriculture Sarawak and MPOB Sarawak as channels to expedite incentive distribution.
With the allocation, Doppa suggested replanting 77,000 hectares, representing 9.3 per cent of Malaysia’s 824,404 hectares under independent smallholders.
It also recommended incentives for self-initiated replanting, verified by MPOB upon completion.
“By encouraging self-motivated replanting, the government can accelerate the process and ensure grants achieve their objectives,“ Doppa said. - Bernama
