SIBU, Jan 6: Sarawak’s pepper is recognised as the best in the world, but attention needs to be put into assisting and supporting many smallholder farmers who are yet able to generate enough value and income to be lifted out of poverty.
Highlighting this, Minister of Plantation and Commodities Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof emphasised the need to improve the entire pepper growing to distribution process to boost production, ensure the premium quality of pepper, reduce costs as well as introducing intercropping to include other cash crops to improve the income of small farmers.
“Although Malaysia is among the top pepper producers internationally, it seems that small pepper farmers are still unable to generate sufficient income to climb out of poverty.
“As such, we have to find ways to improve the whole planting process, increase their production right from sowing to harvesting as well as the distribution and marketing process,” he said when addressing a press conference during a visit to the Malaysia Pepper Board (MPB) Sibu branch today.
Fadillah, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, added that one of the ways to increase the income of small farmers is to diversify their farms with suitable cash crops that can be planted together with pepper.
“My Ministry and MPB is committed to ensure that pepper from Sarawak continues to be recognised as the best in the world and that Sarawak will continue to export the premium quality pepper.
“We have to maintain the premium quality pepper from Sarawak and the Ministry will continue to assist small pepper farmers so that they get out of the poverty line,” he added.
That apart, Fadillah emphasised that assistance in the form of fertiliser, pesticide and technical training would continue to be given to the smallholder farmers.
He also mentioned that a pilot project is being carried out in Song to produce organic fertiliser for pepper planting.
“If this is successful, their dependence on imported chemical fertiliser will be reduced, thus bringing down the cost of planting,” he said.
Earlier today, Fadillah also visited his old school SK St Mary, Sibu where he shared his fond memories of his school days with some 200 pupils. He studied there from 1969 to 1974. — DayakDaily
