2 weeks Ago By Marlinda Marzuki
Rubiah (third left) performs the gimmick for the official opening of the Sarawak Farmers Organisation’s new building in Kota Samarahan. — Photo by Roystein Emmor KOTA SAMARAHAN (Nov 24): Two regions in Sarawak have been identified as areas with abandoned rubber plantations, specifically those not producing latex consistently. According to the Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Samarahan and Betong are parts of the 47,000 hectares of neglected rubber plantations across the country that require urgent attention.
“We are currently facing a new issue where many rubber plantations are left untapped and abandoned. “Across Malaysia, there are 47,000 hectares of such plantations, including those in Sarawak. “We have allocated approximately RM27.
18 million to ensure that these abandoned plantations would be properly managed,” the Kota Samarahan MP said after officiating at the ‘Rubber Commodity Sustainability Movement’ (GKKG) and ‘Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) Sarawak TVET Jelita’ programmes, at Sarawak Farmers Organisation hall here today. Adding on, Rubiah said her ministry, through Risda, had initiated a rubber plantation sustainability movement meant to revitalise abandoned and untapped rubber plantations. “If the planters remain uninterested, we have instructed Risda’s subsidiary to take over the plantations, rehabilitate them, and continue tapping.
“At the same time, the original planters will still receive a share of the profits from the sales,” she pointed out. Rubiah also highlighted that the lack of cultivation and the abandonment of rubber plantations had resulted in significant losses to the government. “This is why Risda has introduced this new initiative.
It is part of our efforts to ensure that these neglected plantations would be fully utilised. “Thankfully, half of the planters have shown interest in this initiative, while the other half have had their plantations taken over by Risda Plantation,” she added. Additionally, Rubiah said her ministry was in the process of replanting rubber trees across the country, with a focus on Sabah and Sarawak where there was still a considerable amount of land available.
“We require 20,000 hectares, with Sabah and Sarawak being the primary focus due to the available land in these states. “In Sarawak alone, around 2,670 hectares have been planted this year,” she said, adding that the number of smallholder rubber farmers in Sarawak now exceeds 100,000. Earlier, in her speech, Rubiah commended Risda Sarawak for successfully implementing the ‘Abandoned Rubber Plantation Rehabilitation Programme’ under the GKKG, benefiting 176 smallholders with a total area of 243.
18 hectares and an expenditure of RM656,000. “Additionally, RM477,000 has been allocated through the Mature Rubber Programme (PHGM) to help smallholders increase the productivity of their rubber plantations. “This represents a positive shift, ensuring that dormant rubber plantations under smallholders would once again be generating income,” she said.
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