KUCHING: Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) will develop 15,000 hectares of state land in Sg Tunoh River Basin in Kapit Division into oil palm plantations, revealed Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
He said the development of such a large track of land by Salcra would help the government-linked company (GLC) generate more income to sustain its other development activities in future.
“This will be the first time in Salcra’s history that we develop State land. I want Salcra officers through Salcrajaya to prove their mettle whether they can do it or not through the same way other commercial plantations are doing.
“Salcra has been accused many times that it has a poor track record in terms of production,” Masing told The Borneo Post after presenting his minor rural project (MRP) grant to the president of Federation of Sarawak Journalists’ Association Phyllis Wong her office here yesterday.
The initial development of 15,000 hectares of land in Sg Tunoh River Basin for oil palm will spur further development in the area as it has some 50,000 hectares of agriculture land suitable for other crops such as paddy, said Masing.
He added that the approval of the state land by the State Government for oil palm plantations will ease dependence on native customary right (NCR) land especially in Kapit Division.
“We can say that the development of the Sg Tunoh River Basin will be the next big thing in Kapit Division as it is the most fertile area that lies right in the middle of the division,” he said.
Masing who is also Baleh assemblyman said currently the area is only accessible by logging road but there is a plan to build a proper road once the Baleh hydroelectric power (HEP) Dam is developed in the near future. The land was approved by former chief minister Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Meanwhile, Masing disclosed that the State Planning Unit (SPU) has made studies on Sg Tunoh River Basin on how best to develop the whole area further including its potential for commercial development.
“The land is 10 times bigger than Bario and it’s very suitable for agriculture. Currently there are farmers planting paddy there but they know they are squatting on state land,” added Masing.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/04/15/plan-for-oil-palm-plantations-in-river-basin/#ixzz3gLQH6zwa
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