Govt Approved 151,790 Agri-commodity BUDI MADANI Applications As Of March 2

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- The government, through the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (MPC), has approved 151,790 applications from oil palm smallholders for the Agri-Commodity MADANI Subsidy Assistance Programme (BUDI MADANI) initiative as of March 2, 2026.

Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad said the initiative involved monthly cash assistance of RM200 being channelled to the group. 

In addition, she said RM7 million had been spent on the Cantas Discount Scheme (SKIDIC) which had benefitted nearly 7,000 applicants nationwide as of March 2.

"The SKIDIC has been introduced since 2010 to encourage the use of motorised cutters in palm frond and fruit harvesting activities, to reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase productivity, especially for the smallholder sector. 

"In 2011, this scheme was expanded to plantations, where applicants received a discount incentive of RM1,000 for each unit of Cantas machine purchased,” she said during the winding up session of the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address for her ministry at the Dewan Negara today.

Noraini said various engagement sessions were held with stakeholders and the ministry was currently in the process of conducting a Mid-Term Review of the National Agri-Commodity Policy 2021-2030, taking into account the issues and challenges currently faced by the sector.

She said MPC was committed to implementing policy reforms to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agri-commodity sector and to uplift the economic status of the people, especially smallholders who are the heart of the country's commodity production so that the country's wealth could be balanced equitably.

-- BERNAMA