The Johor government needs to explain the wide income gap between farmers chosen to work on nearly 207 hectares of state-allocated land as stated in the Auditor-General’s Report 2012, an opposition parliamentarian said today.
According to Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, the 2012 audit of the Johor Agricultural Department (JAD) found that some participants in the decade-old Permanent Food Production Park programme earned RM20,000 a month, while others earned as little as RM229 a month.
“I urge the JAD to pick only participants interested in farming to ensure allocations and facilities are fully-utilised to achieve the project's objectives.
“The JAD must explain whether the programme was fairly run or if only a group of cronies benefited,” the DAP MP said in a statement today.
According to Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, the 2012 audit of the Johor Agricultural Department (JAD) found that some participants in the decade-old Permanent Food Production Park programme earned RM20,000 a month, while others earned as little as RM229 a month.
“I urge the JAD to pick only participants interested in farming to ensure allocations and facilities are fully-utilised to achieve the project's objectives.
“The JAD must explain whether the programme was fairly run or if only a group of cronies benefited,” the DAP MP said in a statement today.
To date, 207 hectares of land has been slated for farming fruits and vegetables by 63 chosen participants.
The Auditor-General Report, however, noted that even though RM4.38 million was allocated for 2010-2012 under the project, nearly a fifth of the land was left vacant with no work having even been started.
Uneven land allocation
Teo also questioned why some farmers received over 14 hectares of land while others received only 0.5 hectares.
She added that the Johor government also often took 32 months before confiscating land from participating farmers who have not used their allocation.
Furthermore, the audit report found that state had lacked in collecting maintenance and rent payments. Only RM40,845 were collected, while RM167,501, or 80.4 percent of the total amount is still owed by the farmers.
Another criteria which was not followed by JAD was the minimal allocation of 2 hectares for vegetable farming and 3 hectares for fruit plantations.
The audit report found that in Ulu Tiram, some 43.7 hectares were given to only three farmers while Fertigasi Pagoh also had three farmers but they were sharing just 1.5 hectares of land there.
Teo also questioned why some farmers received over 14 hectares of land while others received only 0.5 hectares.
She added that the Johor government also often took 32 months before confiscating land from participating farmers who have not used their allocation.
Furthermore, the audit report found that state had lacked in collecting maintenance and rent payments. Only RM40,845 were collected, while RM167,501, or 80.4 percent of the total amount is still owed by the farmers.
Another criteria which was not followed by JAD was the minimal allocation of 2 hectares for vegetable farming and 3 hectares for fruit plantations.
The audit report found that in Ulu Tiram, some 43.7 hectares were given to only three farmers while Fertigasi Pagoh also had three farmers but they were sharing just 1.5 hectares of land there.
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