KUALA LUMPUR: More than 1,000ha of abandoned rubber plantations have been rehabilitated through a collaboration between Risda Plantation and smallholders under a profit-sharing arrangement.
Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said Risda Plantation would take over the management of rubber plantations that were no longer being cultivated by smallholders, with the income generated shared with the landowners.
“We will share the returns or income with smallholders. In addition, the rehabilitated plantations will be handed back to smallholders using mature rubber production methods, along with agricultural inputs such as fertilisers,” she said.
Rubiah was responding to a supplementary question from Bakri Jamaluddin (PN-Tangga Batu) in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 2).
She said the government was also addressing rubber pricing challenges faced by smallholders through the introduction of the Anchor Buyer initiative, with Risda serving as the main purchaser.
“In our efforts to increase production, we are also addressing pricing issues faced by smallholders through the Anchor Buyer initiative, with Risda acting as the main buyer,” she said.
Rubiah added that mobile rubber marketing services had also been introduced to facilitate the collection of rubber produce and encourage smallholders to increase tapping activities.
She said efforts to improve productivity also included the use of new rubber clones and technology-based tapping systems.
