Critical extension services and the plight of Sarawak’s black pepper farmers: A preliminary survey

The success of delicate cash crops is intimately related to the quality of extension services provided for them. Deficiencies in advisory mechanisms, insufficiency of knowledge and the excessive time consumed in accessing appropriate advices may all too often bring negative impacts on the and disease management of several cash crops. Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is one of the commercial crops that has high export value and contributes appreciably to Sarawak’s and Malaysia’s economic growth. In recent years, incidences of disease attacks on black pepper crops had taken a toll on the crops productivity but the depressive impact of this trend on the quality and quantity of farmers’ crops are seldom reported. This study was conducted to examine problems pertaining to extension services received by black pepper in the Asap Koyan, Belaga Ressetlement of the Kapit Division, Sarawak. Results from the preliminary questionnaire survey revealed that black pepper cultivators had to deal frequently with problems of infested crops amid inadequate and inefficient advisory services. This shortcoming could quite easily be circumvented by strategic utilization of information technology.