Boost In Replanting Aid Set To Spur Revival Of Ageing Rubber Smallholdings In Sabah

By Fadzli Ramli

KOTA KINABALU, April 19 (Bernama) -- The increase in Rubber Replanting Programme assistance rate under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) reflects the MADANI government’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare of rubber smallholders.

Smallholders in Sabah said the move would not only ease their burden amid rising costs of fertiliser, herbicides and machinery rental, which had forced some to neglect their smallholdings, but also reignite their motivation to continue working their land.

Gindol Guntunau, 58, who is also the native chief of Mukim Kiulu near here, said the increase in assistance rate would allow him to replace ageing rubber trees that are about 20 years old on his 2.5-hectare smallholding.

He said rubber remains the backbone of the local economy, with the majority of residents in Kiulu relying entirely on rubber tapping and other rubber-based activities for their livelihood.

“However, with the rising costs of fertiliser, herbicides and land-clearing machinery, plans to cut down old trees and replant had to be postponed by villagers due to insufficient funds.

“The increase to RM23,000 per hectare is a great relief. Given current agricultural costs, the previous rate was inadequate, but with the new rate, the villagers and I are motivated to clear our land and purchase higher-quality seedlings,” he told Bernama.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the rubber replanting assistance rate in Sabah has been increased from RM14,955 per hectare to RM23,000 per hectare, an increase of RM8,045 per hectare.

Echoing Gindol’s sentiment, rubber smallholder Ranai Koroh, 57, from Bomboi, Keningau, said the government’s announcement has resolved his dilemma over restoring his two-hectare rubber smallholding, which had been left idle as it was no longer economically viable.

“The hilly terrain of my smallholding requires high costs for cutting down trees, clearing and terracing. So plans for replanting had to be shelved as the previous rate was insufficient to cover costs, especially machinery rental,” he said.

He added that the meaningful initiative would not only restore his income stream but also ensure that his inherited land can be passed on to future generations in a more productive state.

Meanwhile, Ammar Assegaf, 61, from Merotai, Tawau, said the assistance comes at a crucial time as his three-hectare smallholding, planted in the early 2000s, is now experiencing a significant decline in latex yield, which no longer justifies the labour involved in daily tapping.

He said rising costs of land clearing and new seedlings had forced him to leave parts of his land overgrown due to limited capital for replanting.

“With the RM23,000 assistance, I see new hope for my smallholding. The previous rate was just enough for felling trees and clearing, excluding the cost of fertiliser and nurturing young trees, which take years before they can be tapped,” he said.

Ammar added that the staggered payment structure also helps him plan his long-term finances, with guidance from relevant agencies including the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) and the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA).

Meanwhile, RISDA Sabah, in a statement, urged rubber smallholders in the state to take advantage of the assistance through the ‘Let’s Plant Rubber with RISDA’ campaign to revive their smallholdings.

“Interested smallholders can contact the nearest RISDA offices in Sandakan and Tawau, as well as stations in Telupid, Tongod and Paitan for further information,” it said.

The assistance will be disbursed in five instalments, with the first amounting to RM12,100, including RM3,500 allocated for land clearing using machinery, followed by RM2,700 each for the second to fourth instalments, and RM3,500 for the final instalment.

-- BERNAMA