The Orang Asli in Kg Gerachi will be able to earn from oil palm cultivation when their crops of 2 hectares of oil palm is grown for them by Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (SPLASH) as part of the Orang Asli SSP3 resettlement plan.
The 2 hectares of oil palm provided to Orang Asli in Kg Gerachi will, in fact, be actually larger than their present average cultivated area of 1.68 hectare per household.
The existing average income for Kg Gerachi is RM405 per month (range is RM<100 to RM<1,499); the mean income is RM724 per month (ranging >RM100 to >RM2,000) - (Reference PE Research EIA)
At present, SPLASH is managing the oil palm, while training the Orang Asli community to take over and manage the crops. Under the training programme, SPLASH has collaborated with JHEOA in organising several activities such as familiarisation visit to existing oil palm plantation managed by the Orang Asli community in Kedaik, Rompin, Pahang.
As an example of oil palm cultivation earnings, existing Orang Asli oil palm plantations per family in Sg Layau, Johor, managed by FELCRA provide them with a monthly income of RM1,800. Another existing plantation in Kedaik, Rompin, Pahang, also managed by FELCRA, give the Orang Asli monthly earnings of RM1,150.00.
These results from existing oil palm cultivation can also be achieved for the Kg Gerachi community. Basing experience from these existing oil palm cultivation in Sg Layau and Kedaik, it is expected that the Orang Asli in Kg Gerachi will be able to earn a net income of around RM 1,125 per month.
In addition to these earnings from an assured source of income, the Kg Gerachi community will still be able to tap forest produce and earn from jobs provided by SPLASH at the SSP3 worksite.(see community development programme)
