SIBU: A total of 184 farmers in Bawang Assam constituency received agriculture-related subsidy amounting to about RM900,000 at the Agriculture Department’s depot in Jalan Fong Ming here on Wednesday.
According to Bawang Assan assemblyman, Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, each recipient was given nearly RM5,000 worth of subsidy including fertiliser and insecticide.
“In recent years, the prices of fertiliser, insecticide and all other materials for the farming have increased to triple the normal prices previously.
“That made it a heavy burden on the vegetable farmers, especially at low-lying area of the west bank here . I know some of them had reduced production because they could not afford to buy the costly fertiliser, insecticide and so on. Some even had abandoned it because they worked out that there is no point to continue farming as there is not much profits,” he said at the subsidy handover ceremony.
Wong, who is also Progressive Democractic Party (PDP) senior vice president, said in recent weeks, he has gone down throughout the Bawang Assan constituency trying to clear all the drains as much as possible, especially the small rivers and streams in order to prevent farms from being flooded.
He pointed out that it did not help very much but he did try his best to help albeit some areas had been effective as the outflow of stagnant water at the farming area is fast.
“Today, subsidy to the farmers concerned was given. But what is given may not be enough, nevertheless, it will help because each recipient is given about RM5,000 worth of subsidy.
“I would like to thank Datuk Seri Stephen Rundi Utom, who is Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, for enabling the subsidy to be given to the farmers,” Wong stated.
Among those present were Deputy State Agriculture Director, Radziah Jack and Sibu Divisional Agriculture Department Officer, Andrew Ling.
