KUALA LUMPUR (April 6): The average monthly net income of pepper smallholders was around RM1,351 based on the latest statistics, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah, who is also the plantation and commodities minister, said uncertain pepper prices in the market had slightly affected the standard of living of pepper smallholders.

He said the smallholders were also dealing with an increase in the price of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict from the beginning of 2022.

The minister was responding to Senator Susan Chemerai Anding in a written parliamentary reply dated April 5 (Wednesday). 

Susan queried on the current income and living standards of pepper smallholders in Malaysia, as well as strategies implemented by the ministry to improve their economic situation.

Fadillah said the ministry, together with the Malaysian Pepper Board, is encouraging growers to produce premium pepper, such as creamy white pepper and poison-free pepper. 

“Premium pepper like these can give farmers a higher return price than regular-grade pepper,” he said.

“The MPB is also providing assistance under the Premium Pepper Production Development Project, where growers are eligible to receive assistance with processing tools such as pepper separators, spiral separators, pepper sifters and others.”

Besides that, Fadillah said the MPB is encouraging smallholders to plant at least one hectare or more to achieve economies of scale.

“In order to make this initiative a success, the MPB has implemented the New Pepper Planting Scheme, which allows pepper growers to expand their crop area, and the Mature Pepper Planting Scheme, which can help them maintain the pepper crop area, while also helping to reduce the burden faced with high agricultural input costs,” he said. 

He said a total of RM46,000 per hectare was distributed under the New Pepper Planting Scheme for a period of two years, and a total of RM25,000 per hectare was distributed for a period of one year under the Mature Pepper Planting Scheme.

“The MPB also exposed pepper farmers to the production of alternative fertiliser products, such as compost or organic fertilisers, to help reduce costs, and introduced integration planting suitable for pepper.

“Among the crops that have been identified as being suitable as intercrops with pepper are pineapple and corn to help increase the income of farmers in a consistent manner,” Fadillah said. 

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