PM announces RM28M allocation for smallscale farmers, breeders

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday announced an allocation of RM28 million as a one- off contribution to assist small-scale farmers and breeders in the country.

The good news was announced by the Prime Minister in conjunction with the launching of the Menara LPP and 40th anniversary celebration of the agency, here yesterday.

The allocation was an immediate response from Najib to meet the request of the small-scale farmers and breeders who were previously described as lagging behind compared to the largescale farmers and fishermen who had received aid as announced by the government.

The government had previously announced the granting of aid to the fishermen including the cost of living assistance of RM200 per month which benefited 55,000 registered fishermen.

In assisting the large- scale farmers, the government continued the granting of existing subsidy and incentive amounting to RM2.4 billion, besides introducing for the first time the Padi Takaful Insurance Scheme.

This was mentioned by LPP Chairman Datuk Zainal Dahalan in his speech which requested that the incentive should also be granted to the small-scale farmers and breeders numbering 800,000 people nationwide.

The allocation is expected to be channelled as an incentive to the Area Farmers Organisation ( PPK) including for the purchase of chemical fertilisers, oil palm barrels, pesticide containers and pest spraying tools amounting to an estimated RM20 million.

The balance is for meeting the costs of advanced courses and programmes for the ‘ Kumpulan Kor-Tani’.

The Kumpulan Kor-Tani, which was formed in April 2011 as the group that would take over from the current farmers and breeders in the country, now has 6,000 participants.

Earlier, Najib said the government had never neglected the agricultural sector because it was one of the important sectors that could not be left out in the injection of funds.

In fact, he said that in the 2013 Budget, RM5.8 billion was channelled as incentives for the small-scale farmers, breeders and fishermen to boost the capacity of the sector.

“The agricultural sector should be perceived as a thriving sector instead of a wilting and backward sector.

“But there must be efforts to turn the sector into a modern and dynamic one that should contribute towards the achievement of our objective to become a developed nation with a high income,” he said. — Bernama