THE Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands in Sarawak will witness the development of high-value food crops through three models under the large-scale organised smallholding development approaches.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development, Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said that the models employed under the approaches are the project management model, joint venture model, and leasing model.
“A total of 64,358 hectares are being cultivated under the Project Management Model, involving agencies such as Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) (51,295 hectares/21,141 participants), Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB) (626 hectares/207 participants), and Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA) (12,437 hectares/2,668 participants),” he said.
The minister also highlighted the Joint Venture Model, through which Joint Ventures Companies (JVC) have developed 93,202 hectares of NCR land in 48 NCR Land Development Areas. The Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) acts as the Trustee, representing a total of 17,643 registered participants. He shared that the NCR Land Development JV Projects have generated a total of RM519 million in Upfront Payment, Annual Incentives, and Dividends as of March 31 this year, benefiting the participating landowners.
During his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday, Dr Rundi assured that the ministry will monitor the performance of JVCs and review the model to ensure its effectiveness in achieving the desired objectives.
The second approach for NCR Land Development, called Smallholding Development, is mainly carried out by the Department of Agriculture and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
“Currently, registered independent smallholders are cultivating approximately 243,600 hectares. Additionally, my Ministry will continue to develop NCR Land with other crops, utilizing 347,000 hectares for this purpose,” Dr Rundi added.
To encourage NCR landowners to participate in land development, the Ministry will organize various promotional programs such as Dialogue on NCR Land Development, Agriculture Expo, Agriculture Community Outreach Programme (AgriCOP), and Agriculture Transformation Seminar.
“To date, 124 applications involving 422,350 hectares have been registered through respective Area Development Committees (ADC) or Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) to develop their land. Out of these, 53 applications covering 121,000 hectares have been approved as NCR land development areas. The One Stop Committee and State Task Force on NCR Land Development diligently administer all development applications to ensure the sustainable development of NCR lands that benefit landowners and investors,” Dr Rundi concluded.
