Najib announces RM28m handout for farmers, breeders

Najib (centre) arrives for a meet-the-people session with farmers and breeders in Sabak Bernam, February 26, 2012. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today 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 today.

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 large-scale 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.

Also present was Agrticulture and Afgro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar.

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.

Najib said the agricultural sector would not progress without quality human capital, who had an open mind to acquire new knowledge and capable of using innovative methods to achieve higher productivity.

“When we have new ideas, we will be able to bring the farmers closer to the market, if there are problems of logistics, middlemen, or transportation, they can be resolved more effectively for the benefit of the group,” he said.

Citing the example of the establishment of the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) and the planting of rock melons using autopots carried out at Seri Perdana as the transformation of new ideas, Najib said the projects had not only proved to have yielded higher returns for the farmers, but could also make the National Agro Food Policy more successful.

“The rock melon planting project on six acres of land at Seri Perdana using the autopot system had yielded RM500,000 annually with the profits being donated to charity bodies,” he said.

Meanwhile, Najib said the launching of the new Menara LPP hoped to inject a new spirit and work culture for its occupants besides coming out with new inputs that could boost the agency in line with current development.

The construction of the 11-storey Menara LPP began in 2008 and it was fully completed in 2011. — Bernama