Earn Extra Cash From 'Edible Garden' Project

TEMERLOH, March 12 (Bernama) -- "Take part in the Edible Garden programme and earn extra cash".

Those were the words of the general manager for Felda Wilayah Mempaga, Jahaya Janal, after closing the Edible Garden course at Felda Lakum near Lanchang recently.

The Edible Garden programme, a joint effort by Felda, the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) and Agriculture Department involves settlers from Felda schemes.

Apart from aiming to give the participating settlers some extra money, the programme also moves towards reducing the nation's import of vegetables.

The pilot project in Pahang took off at seven Felda schemes in Mempaga including Felda Lakum, Koyan 1, Koyan 2. Koyan 3 and Bukit Pucung.

Jahaya said the selected Felda schemes were given vegetable seeds, fertilizers and plastic bags among others to encourage them to plant vegetables at idle land or that near their homes.

"Felda allocates RM35,000 for this programme where each settlement received RM5,000," he said, adding that 2,608 settlers are involved.

The course was staged to provide the exposure for participating settlers in growing chili. The first harvest of chili in the Edible Garden programme is either end of this month or early April.

SECOND PHASE

According to Jahaya, the second phase of the Edible Garden programme covers another eight Felda schemes namely Felda Cegar Perah, Kumai, Rentam, Tembangau 1, Tembangau 2, Mempaga 2, Mempaga 3 and Tersang.

"If the project is successful, the programme is to be expanded to all 36 Felda schemes in Mempaga that have 24,954 settlers," he said.

Jahaya said if all settlers nationwide take part in the Edible Garden programme, Malaysians would be able to buy fresh vegetables at low prices and the nation would be able to considerably lower the import of RM100 million worth of vegetables annually.

He urged settlers who are interested in the programme to contact the Felda management in their respective areas to implement the project.

"There are no objections as long the project adheres to regulations of the Felda and Land office. Felda is also willing to provide loans as capital to start the vegetable-planting project," he said.

Jahaya hopes the Felda settlers would take this opportunity to earn extra cash by planting the vegetables apart from relying on the harvest from the oil palm plantations.

FAMA

Meanwhile, FAMA's Director for Contract Farms Development (Vegetables and Fruits), Faridulatrash Md Mokri said the programme is expected to produce its first harvest of red chili by either end of March or April this year.

"We expect 560 tonnes of red chili from the 43 participating Felda schemes nationwide and the harvest will be marketed at supermarkets and wholesale markets," he said.

Faridulatrash said Fama had signed a deal to buy all the chili according to the market price based on its size and grade.

He said each of the participating Felda is expected to produce a harvest of more than 10 tonnes of red chili for each harvest cycle of some 60 days.

-- BERNAMA