LUMUT: Felcra Bhd will help develop idle lands in rural areas into plantations, in order to increase the income of villagers.
Its chairman, Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, said the agency will ensure that the lands owned by villagers are not left idle.
"Felcra will help solve problems related to such lands, and make sure that they can be used for agriculture and generate more income for the rural folk," he said here today.
Instead of just concentrating on oil palm and padi plantations, he said Felcra will also encourage villagers to rear livestock and venture into other agricultural activities.
"We want to increase the total size of each plantation, as it could help multiply villagers’ income," he said.
Bung said Felcra will also build 450 units of affordable homes in Gombak next year, as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He said the homes, worth RM200,000, will be sold at half the price, with priority given to its staff and others who earn less than RM3,000 monthly.
At the same time, he said Felcra has also allocated RM10 million annually to help pay for insurance for its workers.
"Felcra will no longer deduct insurance payments from its 3,500 workers," he said.
Bung arrived here yesterday with a convoy from Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Felcra.