‘Role of Risda goes beyond rubber industry’
KAPIT: The role of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority ( Risda) goes beyond the scope of this agriculture segment.
According to Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, the agency not only helps rubber smallholders replant high yielding trees but also provides training for them, channels funds to selected schools to run tuitions for students sitting for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia ( SPM) examinations and helps the rural womenfolk to be actively involved in the cottage industry such as handicraft-making to supplement their household incomes.
He said this in officiating at the start of the ‘ Majlis Kasihi Perkebun Risda Sarawak 2017’ at Rumah Edision Bugap Rasin, Jalan Melekun in Baleh near here recently.
The district-level function gathered some 150 guests including Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong Ijang, political secretaries to chief minister Nicholas Kudi Jantai and Tapah Ata, Kapit District Office administrative officer Robert Anyau and Risda Sarawak director Zulkefli Zaini.
It is learned that there are 500,000 rubber smallholders nationwide who are under Risda’s
Thanks to ‘Program Tusyen Rakyat’, the (SPM) results of students have improved by 10 per cent. For Sarawak, the allocation for the tuition programme is RM275,000 for 22 schools. Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister
assistance. The Risda office at Bletih New Township here has seven staff members.
Adding on, Nanta said the agency had allocated RM1,148,300 to groom 147 entrepreneurs nationwide under its Supplementary Economic Activities (AET).
This year, the ministry has channelled in RM41,251,421 to Risda Sarawak for the replanting of rubber trees and also its AET – all slated to benefit 45,262 participants.
On the ‘ Program Tusyen Rakyat’, he said the allocation for this year was RM2.46 million for 197 schools nationwide to run tuition classes on five core SPM subjects — Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics, English Language, Science and History.
For the Women Rubber Smallholders Group ( PWPK), he said RM 1.56 million had been set aside for 820 PWPKs nationwide.
“Thanks to ‘ Program Tusyen Rakyat’, the ( SPM) results of students have improved by 10 per cent. For Sarawak, the allocation for the tuition programme is RM275,000 for 22 schools.
“For the rural womenfolk, RM18,000 is allocated for 15 PWPKs in Sarawak,” he said.
Nanta, who is Kapit MP, also took the opportunity to congratulate Risda for its success throughout last year.
“It was a successful 2016 for Risda, in which RM393,503,600 was spent on replanting rubber trees in Malaysia. Of this amount, Sarawak received RM48,627,124 for replanting programmes on 1,835 hectares, which involved 1,059 rubber smallholders.”
On the function here, Nanta said it was one among many held by Risda across the state this year to appreciate the contributions of rubber smallholders to the agency, which is under the purview of the ministry.
“The objective of this programme is to get the smallholders to know more about the roles and functions of Risda. For your knowledge, Risda allocates each rubber smallholder RM500 whenever the price (of the commodity) falls.
“The event also serves to establish a close relationship between the smallholders and the agency, and also to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas as well as the latest information and technology,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nanta also assured the longhouse residents that he would help in getting their Native Customary Rights ( NCR) be developed for agriculture.
According to longhouse chieftain Edision Bugap Rasin, their NCR land had been surveyed but they had yet to receive the land titles.
In this regard, Nanta said: “I hope the (NCR) landowner would foster closer rapport with Risda and also Salcra ( Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority) to develop their land for agriculture. RM13,500 would be required to replant rubber trees per hectare of land.”
Later, Nanta announced RM10,000 for Rumah Edision security and development committee (JKKK) to purchase fire extinguishers for the longhouse, and another RM5,000 to replace the roofing.