KOTA BAHARU, Malaysia – More than 120,000 rubber smallholders in the country are encouraged to sell rubber seeds to the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) to help with the agency’s replanting programme.
Its Director-General, Datuk Wan Muhamad Zuki Mohamed, said about 300 tonnes of rubber seeds were required for the smooth implementation of the exercise which would begin next year.
“The rubber replanting project for next year is expected to involve about 40,000 hectares nationwide involving 300 tonnes of rubber seeds.
“We strongly encourage rubber smallholders in the country to collect and sell rubber seeds to RISDA to facilitate the replanting programme,” he told reporters here Monday.
He said the rubber seeds would undergo planting and cross breeding for ten months inorder to get the best clone.
Wan Muhamad said RISDA would buy the seeds at RM3 per kilo and the cash would indirectly help supplement the income of smallholders.
Scrap rubber currently fetches RM6.50 per kilo while sheet rubber retails between RM12 and RM13 per kilo.
Source: Bernama
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