KOTA BELUD: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) has allocated RM1 million to carry out maintenance works on smallholders’ plantation roads (JLPK) in five villages across this district.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the initiative aims to improve basic agricultural infrastructure, benefiting smallholders in Kg Nahaba, Kg Tambulion and Kg Talungan within the Kadamaian state constituency.
Two other projects, he said, will cover villages under the Tempasuk and Pintasan constituencies, namely Kg Kalibungan and Kg Dudar Ulu.
“This allocation is crucial to facilitate the transportation of palm oil produce by smallholders and ensure the smooth flow of local economic activities,” he said after officiating the “Santuni Pekebun Kecil Sawit dan Koko” programme at Dewan Gopog, Taginambur, here, recently.
Ewon, who is also Kadamaian MP, said his Ministry, through the whole-of-government approach, is complementing the KPK’s efforts by empowering cooperatives involved in the plantation sector.
He said for example, the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry (Kuskop), through the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), has channelled RM69,000 in development grants to the Kota Belud Sustainable Palm Oil Smallholders Cooperative to upgrade facilities at its palm oil weighing centre in Kg Rosok.
“Through collaboration between ministries and related agencies, we can create greater impact for smallholders, entrepreneurs and cooperatives, especially in enhancing productivity and efficiency along the commodity supply chain,” he said.
Also present were Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin, MPOB Sabah State Coordinator Amran Arifin and Malaysian Cocoa Board Technology Transfer and Extension Division Director Abdul Karim Che Hamid.
During the event, Ewon also received briefings from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and the Malaysian Cocoa Board (LKM) on various initiatives, including the formation of sustainable palm oil smallholder cooperatives and cocoa cluster cooperatives.
He later presented awards to outstanding palm oil and cocoa smallholders, and handed out Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification to smallholders in Kota Belud.
