The government is stepping in to assist rubber smallholders in the state by providing them with a one-off financial assistance of RM500 each due to the declining price of rubber in the global market.
At 5pm yesterday, the price of rubber per kilogramme was RM5.38. The highest was RM17.17 back in 2011.
“This one-off payment is part of the government’s mechanism to lighten the burden of rubber smallholders in Sarawak who are currently facing uncertainties on the global rubber price,” said Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal during the presentation held at the State Youth and Sports Department Complex here yesterday.
By working together with the state government and agricultural agencies, he said Risda was able to provide support and assistance to rubber smallholders in Sarawak by giving them training on modern skills to ensure proper growth of their plantations.
“Good productivity can actually help the farmers to make a substantial income as they would rely on the huge volume to compensate for the low price of rubber,” said Shafie, who is also Umno vice-president.
On another note, he advised rubber smallholders in the state to diversify or venture into other areas such as planting pepper or starting their own co-operatives which can at least give them some income when the global price for rubber dips.
By diversifying, he said, the rural folks would be one step closer to breaking out of the poverty cycle and move up to the middle income group.
“Under the 11th Malaysia Plan, the government plans to improve the marketability and economic activities of the rural areas. This will ensure that the people are able to improve their economic standings and prevent the younger generation from migrating to towns or cities for employment,” he added.
Besides the one-off payment, the government had several other aid programmes such as BR1M and school allowance for students, he added.
On a related matter, he disclosed that Mara and Risda had introduced a scholarship for the children of participants to enable them to pursue tertiary education locally or abroad.
“We will however only select 20 high-achieving students from each state to be awarded this scholarship,” he added.
Also speaking was Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, who said the one-off payment would be continued until the end of this year.
“In Sarawak we have at least 76,000 rubber smallholders who will be receiving the financial assistance which totals to more than RM37 million,” said Jabu, who is also Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture.
He thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najub Tun Razak for understanding the plight of rubber smallholders in the state by providing the allocation for the one-off payment.
“This assistance only goes to show that the BN government is caring and is serious in looking after the welfare of the people especially those living in the rural areas,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bau district has 1,589 rubber smallholders under Risda who will be receiving a total of RM794,500.
Yesterday 600 of the participants received the RM500 cash assistance.
Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie who is also Assistant Minister for Community Services, Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Risda director-general Dato Sri Wan Zuki Mohamad and Risda state director Zulkefli Zaini were present.- The Borneo Post