Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government will continue its RM20 million allocation for the payment of rubber price incentives to smallholders of the commodity in the State this year.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said through the incentive, the smallholders will be given an additional RM0.25 per kilogramme (kg) for thick rubber.
“The Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS), meanwhile, will contribute a subsidy of RM0.05 per kg, thus taking the total additional amount to RM0.30 per kg,” he said in a statement, Saturday.
Apart from that, the State’s Budget 2023 would also allocate RM16.35 million to LIGS for the development of the rubber commodity sub-sector.
“As such, I want the LIGS management and all its staff to strive to raise the quality and effectiveness of service delivery for the rubber smallholders, especially in terms of developing the land owned by the smallholders right up to processing, and subsequently marketing their rubber to the international market,” he added.
Hajiji also said the State Government had approved Monsoon Season Aid (BMT) amounting to RM69,058,400, involving 86,323 smallholders in the Sabah.
“This assistance, which was given previously, has been raised from RM600 to RM800 per recipient and LIGS will help distribute the BMT, and this aid will be paid out from today (Saturday).
“The State Government is always sensitive and concerned about the problems faced by rubber smallholders and tappers in the State.
“We always find ways to help because smallholders also have to deal with uncertain weather conditions, especially at the end of the year, which affect their income,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hajiji called on LIGS, together with the relevant agencies like the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risad), to take proactive and continuous action in dealing with the issue of rubber trees infected with pestalotiopsis.
“The rubber industry worldwide is currently plagued by this disease, which can reduce rubber production by up to 50 per cent, thus, affecting the rubber smallholders. That’s why there must be a plan,” he said.
