Give aid to Sabah rubber smallholders – Junz
KOTA KINABALU: Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Junz Wong has asked for consideration from the Federal Government to also give the Monsoon Season Aid to rubber smallholders registered with the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS).
He said this in response to the announcement by the Ministry of Finance on the RM600 Monsoon Season Aid to smallholders under the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) throughout the country.
“There are now 70,594 rubber planters, 51,949 plantation owners and 18,645 rubber tappers who have been registered with Sabah Rubber Industry Board,” said Junz. Junz also said that the criteria to give aid only to small rubber planters working on land not exceeding 2.5 hectares, was not applicable to Sabah.
“This is only applicable to Peninsular Malaysia where the size of the farmer's rubber smallholding is below 2.5 hectares,” he explained.
Junz said in Sabah, the size of smallholding planted with rubber is not more than 6.0 hectares, then the criteria used for Sabah should be changed to land not exceeding 6.0 hectares.
In Sabah, there are 6,055 smallholders participating in the rubber plantation project under Risda. Risda Sabah operates at the invitation of the State Government with the assurance of the agency to assist in the rubber replanting, only for individuals.
While LIGS is fully responsible for developing the rubber industry by implementing block rubber replanting, new rubber planting, smallholder training, rubber purchases, rubber processing and sales of Malaysian standard rubber (SMR).
In 2017/2018, ‘Bantuan Musim Tengkujuh' (Rainy Season Aid) with the allocation from the Ministry of Primary Industries was channelled to smallholders in Sabah through LIGS.
“For this purpose, I have written to the Minister of Economic Affairs Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, so that the Monsoon Season Aid is also channelled to rubber smallholders in Sabah through LIGS.”