SENATE Some Commercial Replanting Scheme projects in Orang Asli settlements pay less than RM700 in dividend because of low yield due to the plantation land being on hilly ground and slopes, and less fertile and scattered, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the dividend from some high-yield rubber and oil palm plantations under the scheme was also low because of the small size of the plantations and large number of participants.

Nanta was replying to a question from Senator Isa Ab Hamid, who had wanted to know the number of projects under the scheme and why the dividend was less than RM700.

Nanta said there were a total of 155 projects with a total acreage of 22,720.47 hectares under the scheme in Orang Asli settlements, cultivated with rubber or oil palm.

He said 114 of the plantations were managed by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) and the other 41 by the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra).

Referring to crops that were 25 to 30 years old, Nanta said Felcra had undertaken replanting in 19 projects covering 2,962 hectares.

- Bernama