BALING: Some 140 smallholders with total rubber smallholding acreage of 98ha that were damaged or destroyed in the flood and water surge incident will be given assistance for replanting and redevelopment of their farms.
Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Shari said the assistance would be provided under its Rehabilitation Plan and includes repairing of agricultural roads to the smallholdings.
“Eligible smallholders are entitled to receive the aid at the maximum rate of RM7,710 per hectare for Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak (RM8,205), and Sabah (RM8,290).
“Smallholdings below 5.0ha suffering destruction or crop damage will receive assistance in the form of area restoration, fertilisers, seeds and infrastructure,” he said yesterday during his working visit to Kampung Iboi which was badly affected in the disaster.
He said the association would continue to identify the total number of smallholders affected to ensure continuous assistance is channelled.
“Baling district has 13,121 smallholders with a total rubber cultivated acreage of 13,988.51ha,” he added.
Mohd Salim said a total of six Risda-guided entrepreneurs affected by the disaster would also be assisted to restart their respective businesses, Bernama reported.
In addition, he said Risda also carried out corporate social responsibility through the Risda Foundation, which provided RM100,000 involving 1,000 packages of food supply to the affected residents.
He said Risda will also provide a one-off cash assistance of RM1,000 per household to 17 families whose houses were destroyed or damaged in the disaster.
The floods and water surge incident, which occurred last Monday, displaced 1,490 residents and claimed three lives.
