Socioeconomic Impact on Farmers in Malaysia: A Case Study on Integrated Agricultural Development Project

Abstract

Problem statement: Integrated Agricultural Development Project (IADP) is a platform for rural socioeconomic improvement. This initiative has raised the income of farmers by creating a large scale fruits producer in Sarawak. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the direct impact of the agricultural development project on socioeconomic improvement in the Samarahan area. Approach: This study involved 14 villages and is located in the Mid-Samarahan and Upper Samarahan areas. A total of 220 households were interviewed during December 2005-February 2006 to collect information on yield and household income. The paired t-test analysis showed that the project had a positive impact on in-farm and other incomes of farmers. Results: It was also revealed that the poverty level of Sarawak state was reduced from the poverty line, from 77% in 1986-19.5% in 2005. The percentage of hard core poverty fell from 30.9% in 2000-6.4% in 2005. Conclusion: The project was generally implemented as an appraisal to increase the incomes of rural population through fruit cultivation as a main economic activity. It was concluded that this project is efficient as a tool to combat poverty and improved the socioeconomic level and income generating activities among the rural community.