Smallholders form the bulk of rubber planters in Sabah.
125,075ha of the 177,766ha of land in the state planted with rubber are managed by smallholders while the rest comprise rubber estates.
“Keningau alone has 21,525ha of land planted by 5,902 smallholders,” said Malaysian Rubber Board director-general Dr Zairossani Mohd Nor at a smallholders technology transfer and support services programme here.
Dr Zarroissani said the rubber industry was still among Malaysia’s major economic contributors with export earnings amounting to RM32.3bil.
Sabah Agriculture and Food Industry Assistant Minister Datuk Sairin Karno said the government spent RM24,2mil on rubber production incentive payments to 18,911 smallholders in the state between September 2015 and December last year.
He said the incentive was meant to ease the burden of smallholders and their families as well as motivate them to continue with their efforts despite the plunge in rubber prices.
“The government pays RM5.50 per kg for SMR 20 FOB grade rubber and RM2.20 per kg for cup lumps,” he said.
A total of 300 smallholders in Keningau attended the event, organised jointly by the board, Sabah Rubber Industry Board and Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda).
Meanwhile, in Selangau, Sarawak, Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said Sarawak Risda had received an allocation of RM20.7mil to replant rubber trees involving 2,252ha of land in the state.
The money came from RM158.3mil set aside for the rubber replanting programme involving 54,057ha throughout the country.
“RM388.6mil was allocated to Risda under the 11th Malaysia Plan for development programmes in the country this year,” he said at the launch of the rubber collection centre and opening of the Nanga Sekuau Agropolitan Plantation Site by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, who is also Selangau MP.
The Agropolitan project is an integrated development programme aimed at eradicating poverty and increasing the income of rural folk.