Reluctance to share block income among factors Felda settlers replanting individually - Mustapa

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- Reluctance to share block income, inheritance issues, failure to agree on who should continue the replanting activities, and wanting to be independent are among the factors that prompted some Felda settlers to manage their farms and carry out replanting activities individually, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said there were 17,304 out of 112,638 Felda settlers who were replanting their farms individually.

“Of the 17,304, a total of 8,501 settlers are sending their harvest using FELDA paysheet, while the rest are selling to middlemen,” he said in reply to Datuk Dr Hasan Baharom (PH-Tampin) during Question Time today.

Hasan had wanted to know the number of Felda settlers who manage to do the replanting activities individually and the factors that motivate them to do so and whether the government offers any assistance scheme to encourage similar activities.

Elaborating, Mustapa said Felda always strived to boost the settlers’ confidence in carrying out the replantation activities with the agency.

Among the efforts taken were improving farm management by increased use of mechanisation and attractive incentives to local workers; ensuring the production of high-quality seed; and encouraging settlers to participate as farm workers to earn side income.

Mustapa said Felda also encouraged the management of gardens in clusters so that costs are controlled at an optimal level and helped in the purchase of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides for settlers who consistently send their harvest to factories using FELDA's paysheet.

"The Sustainable Farm Management Committee (formerly known as Area Replanting Committee) has also been mobilised more actively in the replanting campaign. Settlers are also involved in the work of monitoring, planning and examining the cost of replanting,” he said.

-- BERNAMA