KOTA SAMARAHAN: Malaysia is grappling with a new issue of untapped and abandoned rubber plantations, involving 47,000 hectares nationwide, including significant areas in Sarawak.
Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang said the ministry has spent about RM27.18 million to rehabilitate abandoned plantations.
“So far, in Sarawak, it involves two districts, Samarahan and Betong.This is to ensure that these abandoned plantations are managed or tapped.
“That is why we have this campaign for the sustainability of rubber plants. Our goal is to develop areas of abandoned and untapped rubber plantations.”
Photo: Ramidi Subari
Photo: Ramidi Subari
She said this to reporters after the closing of the Gerakan Kelestarian Komoditi Getah & TVET Jelita Risda Sarawak 2024 programme here today.
“If the plantation owners are still uninterested, we have directed Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) subsidiaries to take over those plantations by continuing or rehabilitating those plantations. The plantation owner will then receive dividends from the sales proceeds,” she said.
Rubiah said that untapped and abandoned rubber plantations have caused a significant loss to the government.
“When most rubber estates or plantations are not tapped or do not produce yields, even though the trees are there, they do not produce results.
“That is why this is a new initiative introduced by Risda. By conducting this sustainability campaign for rubber plants, we are ensuring that these abandoned plantations are fully utilised.
“Alhamdulillah, half of them are interested again, and the other half Risda Plantation has taken over with the hope that there will be no wastage in the rubber enterprise as a whole,” she added.
She said the ministry is also focusing on the process of replanting rubber by establishing plantations throughout the country.
“We need 20,000 hectares, and Sabah and Sarawak are the focus considering that there is still a lot of land in both states. And for Sarawak this year, about 2,670 hectares have been planted this year,” she said.
In her speech, Rubiah said Risda Sarawak, through the Gerakan Kelestarian Komoditi Getah (GKKG) campaign has implemented the Program Pemulihan Getah Terbiar benefiting 176 smallholders over a plantation area of 243.18 hectares with an expenditure of RM656,000.
“Additionally, RM477,000 was spent by Risda Sarawak under the Program Pengeluaran Hasil Getah Matang (PHGM) to ensure that smallholders can maximise their rubber yield.
“This is a positive step forward to ensuring inactive smallholder rubber plantations can once again generate income,” she added.
