Kuching: The Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (DOPPA) is calling for a groundbreaking initiative that integrates carbon trading to provide a stable income for rural communities in Sarawak.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, its president, Dr Napolean R Ningkos, highlighted the potential of approximately 1.7 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land with significant forest cover to contribute to environmental conservation and community welfare. He emphasized the alignment with the national No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) policy and urged the government to implement a mechanism to compensate landowners for preserving their forested NCR lands. This initiative aims to support national environmental goals while ensuring smallholders receive a sustainable income without expanding oil palm cultivation.

Napolean asserted DOPPA’s strong belief that the successful implementation of the NDPE policy in Sarawak depends on improving the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. By adopting carbon trading, these communities can benefit economically while playing a crucial role in forest conservation. The association has called on the government to prioritize the development of a carbon trading framework that compensates landowners for maintaining their forested areas.

This approach promises to balance economic development with environmental conservation, ensuring a sustainable future for Sarawak’s rural communities. “DOPPA looks forward to the government’s consideration of these proposals in the upcoming Budget 2026 and anticipates positive changes that will benefit Sarawak’s independent smallholders and the broader agricultural community,” said Napolean.

Meanwhile, DOPPA also emphasized the need for a more effective replanting incentive scheme in Sarawak. The association highlighted that less than one per cent of the 48,000 independent smallholders in Sarawak have succeeded in their application to participate in the scheme, attributing this to cumbersome bureaucratic processes, particularly the verification of land applications by the Department of Land and Survey, Sarawak.

Napolean explained that the current scheme demands land title or status verification, delaying the approval process. “This verification is necessary due to the matching grant requirement from both the federal government and Agrobank, amounting to RM18,000 per hectare for Sarawak. However, due to these bureaucratic hurdles, many oil palm smallholders are denied access, undermining the programme’s objectives,” he said, suggesting that the federal government should introduce more flexible procedures.

The association also proposed a grant of RM9,000 per hectare as an incentive for smallholders who have completed their replanting, which could significantly alleviate development costs for independent smallholders. DOPPA recommends channelling this grant through the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak (MFicord) or MPOB Sarawak Regional to ensure proper distribution to eligible smallholders.

In its Budget 2026 wishlist, DOPPA calls upon the government to collaborate closely with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local government agencies to ensure that funding reaches those most in need. Napolean stated that DOPPA remains committed to assisting in this effort and is prepared to provide support to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to the targeted groups.