SUNGAI SIPUT, Oct 19 (Arkian) – Oil palm smallholders in Kampung Perlop 1 are appealing for urgent intervention to stop repeated wild elephant raids that have damaged crops across 80 hectares of plantations belonging to 18 smallholders since early September.
The appeal follows a recent elephant attack in Bukit Bangkong, Chemor, which has renewed concerns over human-elephant conflict in the area.
Smallholder Mastura Yusuf, 65, said about 300 of the 600 oil palm trees on her 12-hectare plantation had been destroyed over the past two years.
She said her plantation had been raided at least four to five times in the past year, forcing her to repeatedly spend her own money to replant damaged trees.
“My plantation has been raided at least four to five times over the past year. Each time the crops are destroyed, we have to use our own money to replant them, but our efforts are in vain when the elephants return and damage the newly sprouted trees,” she said when met at Kampung Perlop 1 here today.
Mastura said the repeated damage had severely affected her livelihood, as she depended entirely on her plantation for income.
Another smallholder, Muhammad Azlan Adenan, 42, said he had suffered losses exceeding RM20,000 over the past two months, excluding the costs of rehabilitating his six-hectare plantation.
He said reports had been lodged and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) had visited the area to monitor the situation, most recently two weeks ago.
“We sincerely hope that assistance and a long-term solution can be expedited,” he said.
Meanwhile, smallholder Mohd Faiz Ahmad, 40, said the extent of the damage suggested that more than three elephants had entered the plantations.
He said the affected smallholders planned to apply for assistance under the Property and Crop Damage Compensation Assistance Initiative (BKHT) to help cover their losses.
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