Majority of rural folks earn below RM850

For decades now, Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu has been in charge of modernising agriculture and improving rural development, but nothing much has changed.

KUCHING: Krian assemblyman Ali Biju has questioned the state government’s programme to modernise agriculture and eradicate poverty in rural areas.

Debating the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng’s address in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting, Biju said:

“The state government has been developing large-scale plantations for commercial crop.

“However, Bumiputera participation in agri-business does not even reach 20% and the majority of rural communities are having income below the poverty line index of RM850 per month.

“As such, an aggressive socio-economic transformation plan is required in rural areas.

“This transformation requires complete overhaul of agricultural practices and construction of basic infrastructures.”

Citing the situation in the Krian constituency, Biju said the most effective way to improve socio-economic conditions in rural communities is to develop smallholdings of commercial crop, especially oil palm and high-yield rubber.

“Smallholdings do not only eradicate poverty rate among rural farmers but also reduce dependency on foreign workers in plantation, provide job opportunities, minimise rural-urban migration, develop rural entrepreneur, empower rural communities and provide a sense of pride to farmers through self-reliance.

“It also helps to preserve native culture and customary practices on their land.

“Smallholdings of four hectares of proper commercial farms can create tremendous socio-economic change for rural households,” Biju said.

He urged the government of the day to come out with specific programme to assist and cultivate at least four hectares per family of commercial crops, either oil palm or rubbers.

No assistance for smallholders

He said that throughout the Krian constituency, there are many genuine poor rural farmers interested in oil palm planting.

“However, a lot of their applications for assistance to MPOB [Malaysian Palm Oil Board] office are not entertained or not processed without any reason.

“I would like to thank State Agricultural Modernisation Minister [Alfred Jabu Numpang] in his oral reply that the government will provide assistance through MPOB irrespective of their political affiliation since poverty eradication is applicable to all poor farmers.

“So far, the government has not allocated sufficient budget to cater for the needs of oil palm smallholders. I would like to know how much has been allocated to oil palm smallholders.

“How many applications have been received and approved by MPOB?” Biju asked.

He also questioned the financial capability of the government to plant 200,000ha by 2021 of high- yield rubber trees as planned by Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit).

“I would like to express my concern on the availability of federal fund to finance such an ambitious undertaking.

“Such undertaking costs about RM13,500 per ha to plant rubber trees so the government has to set a budget of RM2.7 billion over the next 10 years or RM270 million per year.

“Looking at the budget to plant rubber for 2012 of about RM70 million, it means we are way behind our target already,” he said.

Rubber smallholders

A lot of smallholders, through their own efforts, plant commercial crops like oil palm and rubber without waiting for assistance from agricultural department.

“They are facing many obstacles, especially relating to terracing and construction of farm roads leading to their farms.

“I urge the agricultural department to come out with a specific scheme to assist those genuine farmers.

“Rubber smallholders are also facing problem with the quality of seedlings provided through the agricultural department.

“Many of the seedlings cannot grow properly or simply die after planting. Replacement seedlings should be supplied immediately to replace dead seedlings.

“Farmers must be advised and given technical training assistance so that they can produce their own seedlings with quality ‘bud eyes’ taken from reputable suppliers of high-yield rubber clones,” he added. -----The Free Malaysia Today

Penan rape cases, who else to be blamed?

KUCHING – During the debate on the Supply (2010) Bill last Friday, Violent Yong (DAP-Pending) said that Alfred Jabu should be stripped off his position as minister-in-charge of Penan Affairs, charging that the minister has shown no compassion for victims of rapes and sexual abuse, but instead exhibited prejudice and insensitivity.

“The people want an answer. Who is the Barisan Nasional (BN) government protecting? Is the BN government trying to protect the logging companies who hired these rapists?

“Instead of spearheading the investigation when the rapes on the Penan girls and women were brought up, there was an outcry of denial from all quarters as rapists roamed the jungles free. Instead, the NGOs that broke the story ended up being the guilty one,” Yong said.

She also claimed the government was trying to sweep the issue under the carpet with accusations that the reports were lies, calling the Penans good storytellers and asking newspapers to check their facts, and branding certain NGOs as liars and trouble makers.

In his winding speech on Tuesday, Jabu hit back, saying that the opposition has stepped on dangerous waters when politicizing the Penan issue by manufacturing lies and twisting facts.

“I know they manufactured lies and twisted the facts. They based them on hearsay. They do not know anything about the Penans, let alone where they live. They do not speak Penan,” he said.

Comment: Jetty fully agrees with Jabu that the Opposition members know very little about the Penans and their way of life. They started to know about the Penans after stories of blockades and rapes and sexual abuse were published. Of course nobody from the Opposition can beat Jabu.

Jabu is one of those who fully understand the Penans, their culture and their way of life. Jabu’s knowledge of the Penans started way back in 1960s when he was appointed Divisional Agriculture Officer, Limbang and later Divisional Agriculture Officer, Miri.

From Miri he went to Sibu where he was appointed Regrouping and Resettlement Officer with RASCOM (Rajang Security Command) during the height of communist activities in the State, before he resigned in 1974 to contest in a by-election.

During his tenure as Agriculture Officer, Jabu visited every nook and corner of Limbang, Miri and Belaga where he met Kayans, Kenyahs, Ibans, Berawans, Kelabits, Lun Bawang and including Penans.

In those days (and even today) many government officers (including Tuan Resident, Tuan DO, and Tuan Kunsil) took advantage of the innocent native girls and some continued to have affairs with them, resulting in some women giving birth to fatherless children.

As a young reporter with the Information Department (from 1965 to 1975), Jetty used to follow Ministers and these officers to the remote areas of Sarawak and saw with his own eyes what happened there. Some officers even abused their positions by doing things that were not official such as hunting wild boars, fishing semah and empurau and shooting punai (wild pigeons).

It looks like those perpetrators of rape and sexual abuse do not confine to timber workers only. Who else to be blamed? - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Jabu returns to his old ministry

Kuching - Glancing through the list of the Cabinet reshuffle announced by Abdul Taib Mahmud on Sunday, we notice that Alfred Jabu (pic above) has been returned to his old Ministry, the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture (MOMA), albeit the name is slightly changed. Previously it was known as the Ministry of Agriculture and Community Development. That was decades ago.

Hopefully this time Jabu, the most senior leader of Dayaks in the Cabinet, should really make use of his “power” in the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture as well as his “power” in the Ministry of Rural Development to modernise and transform the rural areas into high-tech farming land, where there should be in-situ development such as clinics, schools, and other amenities.

However to do this, Jabu must make friends with our graduates and invite some Dayak experts, especially those who are soil scientists, agriculturists, botanists, economists and so on for discussions and make them as members of his “Think Tank” and to formulate a development/agriculture master plan for the rural areas covering not only area in Betong, but also throughout Sarawak.

So when Jabu leaves the political stage he will leave a legacy, perhaps as the “Father of Rural Development” (Apai Pemansang Menua Pesisir).

The rural people have high expectation of Jabu. Hopefully he will not betray their confidence, as he did when he was the Minister of Agriculture. At that time he had fanciful ideas such as urging the people to plant “Kepayang”, releasing fish fry into rivers and distributing “anak manuk” (chicks), and “igi utai” (vegetable seeds). These are petty things that can be distributed even by a Tuai Rumah (longhouse headman) or a councillor. Why should a Dayak minister or even an elected representative be involved in such small things? As I said they should be involved in the planning and thinking to develop their constituencies as well as other areas in the interior.

Jabu should not also “pilih mata tauka pilih kasih” when carrying out his duties. It has known to us that Jabu would ask whether so and so was a PBB member, or a PBDS member or Opposition member. If he was a PBDS or Opposition member, agricultural subsidies would not be given. Many PBDS members had suffered because of this policy.

Now that Jabu has returned to his old ministry, we hope that he has learnt a lesson or two and hopefully he has now become a “better” man, especially when age is catching up with him. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Catfish business: the new craze in town!

For the past few months, we have been reading in papers about thousands of fish in Baleh and Belaga rivers dying mysteriously. Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) controller Dr. Penguang Manggil says that the fish died of suffocation as their gills were clogged with mud.

However, Dr. Elie Luhat, a researcher, believes the fish died due to changed environment and in our ecological system as a result of human activities and the clearing of land for oil palm plantations.

Pollutants and chemicals coming from these oil palm plantations contribute to changes in our ecological system; thus fish, water plants and algae become victims of our development. In no time all our rivers are slowly and certainly being emptied of their contents. Birds and animals have long time ago left the scene.

Now the next victims are human beings especially those who live in the rural areas and along the river banks; their health are bound to be affected as fish and animals no longer can provide proteins for their diets; their social and cultural aspects and the education of their children will also be adversely affected. In other words, the future of rural dwellers is at stake.

As these are the result of “politics of development”, nothing we can do about the change in environment, about the depletion of the fish and the scarcity of animals and birds. Absolutely nothing we can do!

Nevertheless, in order to improve our proteins we can adopt the Federal Ministry of Agriculture’s “Buku Hijau” (Green Book) concept through which assistance can be provided to participants of the scheme.

Rearing of catfish (ikan keli) in the compound of our house is perhaps one way to enhance the supply of protein to our family and at the same time to help generate incomes for the family.

Catfish either the local breed, or from Thailand and South African is in great demand now, because catfish has been found to contain a larger amount of substance known as omega-3 fatty acids than found in salmon, tuna and other marine life such as algae. These acids are essential to human health, but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food such as catfish.

As I said that research has found out that our catfish has the finest omega-3 fatty acids which play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Those suffering from deficiency of these fatty acids have symptoms of extreme tiredness, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, depression and poor blood circulation.

A friend of mine, Gilbert Libu and 25 others have seriously involved themselves in catfish rearing. Their current stock which should be ready for sale in three months time is close to one million tails.

Libu himself has about 15,000 fish fry (tails) of catfish in one canvas pond. One fish fry costs between 10 cents and 15 cents. After the fish reach certain size, they will then be transferred to another canvas pond and a new stock of fish fry will be introduced to the first pond.

Within three months of purchasing the fry, they are expected to grow about 200 grams and 250 grams and are ready for sale at about RM5.00 a kilogram.

Libu and his group have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with a certain company to sell their catfish to West Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. Their average monthly harvest is expected to be around 50 tons worth about RM50,000.

According to Libu, a German company has expressed interest to set-up a company in Malaysia to turn the fleshy part of catfish into capsules, while the skins and bones will be manufactured into cosmetics.

Libu, however, warned that anyone having interest in catfish business must first undergo training and his group can provide such training together with the staff of the Department of Agriculture (DOE). For those residing in cities and towns, catfish rearers can use canvasses as their ponds.

Since he started the catfish business, many people from the rural areas have visited his ponds. He can be contacted at 012-8864659. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Revive role of Home Demonstrators to help rural economics

When prices of rubber, pepper and timber are down and prices of agriculture produce are up, and when many factories are closed down and workers forced to quit, what a better way is than to involve ourselves in agricultural activities. The decision of some 250 families in Kapit and 75 persons in Sarikei participating in a Bumi Hijau programme is not only a wise decision, but one that others should emulate.

While the programme is involved in the planting of vegetables around the house compound mainly for home consumption, extra produce can be sold to supplement household incomes. Under this programme the participants among others will enjoy subsidies of fertilizers, vegetable seeds, fish fry, chicks and other garden paraphernalia.

The Green Book programme introduced more than 30 years ago is being revived to reduce the rate of inflation by raising the people’s incomes through involvement in agriculture either as a part time or full time basis.

Through this programme the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a “kitchen farming” concept whereby households involve in vegetable farming, chicken and fish rearing in gardens of individual homes. Last year alone, the ministry had allocated RM20 million for the purchase and distribution of selected vegetable seedlings, fertilizers and manuals to all strata of society.

Sadly not many of our folks know about the existence of this scheme; perhaps there was little publicity or perhaps our so-called Dayak Yang Berhormats were ignorant or couldn’t be bothered about government policies that could benefit the Rakyat.

For us in Sarawak, the State government should go one step further to ensure the success of this “kitchen farming” concept by reviving the department of agriculture extension programme. Under this extension programme, Home Demonstrators (HDs) go to longhouses to teach Dayak women about home economics including advising them how to plant vegetables and fruit trees, the use of pesticides and fertilizers, how to make compost and to prune fruit trees, teach them sewing, cooking, handicrafts, cake making and healthy living, etc. Likewise, Junior Agriculture Assistants (JAAs) help their menfolk in maintaining their pepper or rubber gardens, chicken, sheep or cow rearing, etc.

This extension programme was actively carried out when Datuk Sri Daniel Tajem was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Community Development from October 1980 to March 1987.

Working closely with the Home Demonstrators were members of the Women’s Institute resulting in many housewives establish cottage industries selling various kinds of handicrafts including “pua kumbu”.

But when Adenan Satem took over as Agriculture Minister and Community Development in mid-1987, the agriculture extension programme was discontinued, the monthly visits by Home Demonstrators were stopped, and the name of Home Demonstrators was changed to Community Development Assistants having entirely different duties.

Even Farmers Training Schools where the menfolk were trained to be progressive farmers were closed and now they become white elephants. Since then the home economics programme was left to disappear into thin air.

The Women’s Institute which was under the leadership of Rugayah Majid, wife of Abang Yusof Puteh also became dormant.

Could actions against all these institutions and programmes have something to do with the Ming Court Affair 1987 during which Permas (a Malay party) and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) were trying to topple Taib Mahmud’s government? Why were rural people, especially the housewives made to suffer due to political harassment and victimization?

However, for the Green Book programme to be effective, we must not play politics and deprive the rural women from playing an important role in economic development. Therefore it may be necessary as far as rural Sarawak is concerned to revive or activate the agriculture extension programme.

This is where the role of Home Demonstrators is not only an important tool towards enhancing home or rural economics, but one that helps produce healthy families that are essential in nation building efforts. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Fish fry project – a success or a failure?

Each year thousands of fish fry of various species were released into rivers in the State to improve the diet particularly of the rural people. They include Empurau, Semah, Tengadak and both black and red Tilapia.

A native of Africa, the black tilapia not only adapts itself perfectly well to conditions of our rivers, but also upsets the survival of other fish. So plentiful it is in the market that some naughty people name it “Ikan Jabu”. It is so named because Alfred Jabu was the one who released the fry to rivers when he was Minister of Agriculture.

In fact Jabu is proud that the black tilapia has been named after him at least as a way to appreciate his efforts. And when he was questioned at that time as to why he was so much involved in the distribution of fish fry rather than the distribution of bigger projects that would bring greater benefits to the people, he angrily defended his ministry (agriculture) policies to help improve the nutritious foods of the rural people.

Although he is holding the posts of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Ministry of Rural Development now, he still continues to release fish fry to rivers. It is indeed his pre-occupation.

The efforts to release the fish began in earnest in the 1990s at the height of timber operations and extractions. Until today nothing much is heard of other species of fish as there is no study being conducted to determine the percentage of their survival or whether our efforts are a success or a failure?

Timber operations and extractions have caused so much sediment so much so that many “lubok” become “lansar”, and “lansar” become dry, thus literally emptying rivers of fish especially the Empurau and Semah types. This type of fish cannot survive in muddy or murky waters.

Now the State is all out to create a vast empire of oil palm encompassing NCR land belonging to the natives and land owned by the State. Pollutants and chemicals from the operations of these oil palm estates have further damaged our ecological system. Fish population is further affected.

Little wonder, therefore, river fish now, because of its rarity and scarcity, have become very expensive. Because of their good taste and scarcity, Empurau and Semah are the most expensive fish with prices ranging from RM300 to RM450 a kilogram. Even “ikan keli” (local catfish) costs between RM15 and RM18 a kilogram.

With all these fish becoming a rarity and the survival of the fish fry being released into the rivers is unknown, is it not true to say that the efforts to improve the nutritious diet of the rural people have ended disastrously? Secondly, how much money has been spent on this project since the fish fry project was introduced in late 1970s? What are the answers for these two questions?

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Good news to Dayak farmers

Effective next year, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry will give incentives to some 60,000 hill paddy farmers in Sarawak and 3,000 from Sabah so that they will be able to increase their crop yields. The incentives will be in the form of 25 kg of fertilizers, four litres of pesticide a month, besides spraying kits and chainsaws.

The move by the federal government as announced by the deputy minister of agriculture and agro-based industry, Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, should be welcomed as it would help to ease the burden of the farmers due to high costs of fertilizers and pesticides and at the same time to encourage the farmers to increase their yields in view of the government’s policy towards self-sufficiency in rice production.

No doubt there are bound to be problems in identifying the genuine farmers who have two to three acres of paddy plots. Therefore, in order to ensure a foolproof delivery system, the ministry needs to have at least a temporary office at every division’s capital set up for the purpose.

As the bulk of the 60,000 farmers are Dayaks, it may be a good idea, if the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) and the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) can assist in this to ensure that the majority of farmers will benefit from these incentives. The role of the longhouse security and development committees (JKKK) should also be enlisted.

In the past when incentives were made available to rural farmers, only a small number of them benefited. The fault partly was due to lack of publicity and ignorance on the part of the farmers on the mechanism to apply and partly it was also due to some State officers who were directed to implement “pilih mata” (discriminatory) approach. For example, when farmers applied they were asked of their political leaning. If they were supporters of BN, their requests would be entertained immediately and if they were pro-Opposition (PBDS at that time) they would be sidelined.

Hopefully this “pilih mata” system is a thing of the past. After all as citizens, and under the Law, they are supposed to have, may be not equal rights, but at least some rights. But more importantly, when farmers, whether they are BN or Opposition supporters, have better harvests, it is also the country and her citizens who will benefit.

See page 3 of The Borneo Post today regarding the news item.