KOTA KINABALU – Rubber smallholders and rubber tappers in Sabah are eligible for the RM500 special assistance in view of the falling rubber price, said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin.
Yahya, who is also the state Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said the one-off payment would be distributed to rubber smallholders and tappers.
“For Sabah, all Malaysian rubber smallholders and tappers registered with the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) and the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) will be eligible to receive the aid which will be channelled directly to the recipients in stages from June to December this year,” he said in a statement here today.
He said at the same time, LIGS was assisting Risda to distribute forms and register rubber smallholders and rubber tappers for the special assistance.
Currently, LIGS has directly handled 27,606 rubber smallholders and tappers in the state.
Meanwhile, Yahya said the Rubber Production Incentive Payment of RM0.50 for each kilogramme of dried rubber would be continued.
He said the scheme was introduced to encourage rubber smallholders practise good agricultural practices for better rubber yield and to put rubber prices in Sabah on par with the peninsula to ease the burden of rubber smallholder as a result of the falling rubber price.
– malaysiandigest.com
