MPB opens planting schemes to pepper smallholders nationwide

KUCHING: The Malaysian Pepper Board (MPB) is giving pepper smallholders throughout the country an opportunity to join the New Pepper Planting Scheme and Mature Pepper Planting Scheme.

Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Willie Mongin said these schemes would benefit the smallholders in view of the rising price trend of the commodity.

"I urge all pepper smallholders to seize this opportunity by submitting an application to any nearby MPB branch immediately," he said during a ceremony to distribute face masks and hand sanitisers to pepper industry stakeholders at the MPB headquarters here today.

According to him, the price of black pepper has surged to RM10.10 per kilogramme (kg) while the white pepper price has risen to RM17.40 per kg, and this upward trend is expected to continue.

The deputy minister called on pepper farmers, who are mainly in Sarawak and Johor, to therefore continue production.

"I advise pepper entrepreneurs at the upstream level, which is the farm level, to continue operating their farms and cultivating pepper because I am confident pepper prices will rise to a better level in the future," he said.

At the function, Willie also handed out vouchers valued at RM7,050 under the PRIHATIN economic stimulus package to 12 recipients, who are pepper farmers from the Serian and Bau districts.

He said the assistance in the form of vouchers would help them to purchase agricultural inputs as well as farming and maintenance equipment at panel shops appointed MPB.

In addition, a farmer in Bau received 2021 New Pepper Planting Scheme assistance worth RM2,600.

-- BERNAMA