TAWAU, Nov 6 — Sabah has become the biggest recipient of allocations for repairing farm roads under the Smallholder Farm Road (JLPK) project, with RM17.06 million channelled out of a total RM20 million provided this year.
Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said that as of October 31, a total of 57 JLPK projects had been approved in Sabah, involving an allocation of RM17.06 million, including three farm road projects worth RM2 million in Tawau.
“This assistance is provided to facilitate the logistics and transportation of smallholders’ harvests, as the delivery of tonnes of fresh fruit bunches must reach the mills or collection centres on time.
“If the delivery time exceeds 24 hours, it will cause the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content to increase, which in turn lowers the quality of the oil and reduces the income of smallholders. That is why such assistance is channelled, taking into account the road conditions in Sabah,” he said.
He said this to reporters after officiating a programme for oil palm smallholders here today.
Meanwhile, in line with the government’s commitment to assisting smallholders, Chan said the government, through Budget 2026, has allocated an additional RM50 million for the maintenance and development of plantation roads nationwide.
In addition, he advised all parties to take full advantage of the assistance and incentives provided by the government so that smallholder palm oil production, particularly in Sabah, can generate higher income. — Bernama
