KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The government is drafting a plan to consolidate and rehabilitate rubber land so that it can be cultivated again, said the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities.
Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Chan Foong Hin said that the restoration and production efforts in the 420,000 hectares (ha) of untapped land at optimal levels could yield approximately 585,000 tonnes per year, thereby reducing the import of natural rubber and preventing the outflow of national currency.
“This programme will be implemented in collaboration with agencies such as the Malaysian Rubber Board, the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA), the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), Lembaga Penyatuan dan Pemulihan Tanah Persekutuan (FELCRA), state-owned farms, and all stakeholders,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Chan was responding to a question from Bakri Jamaluddin (PN-Tangga Batu) who inquired about the ministry’s steps and efforts in managing the neglected and aged rubber land owned by smallholders, covering about 420,000ha identified across the country.
To implement this programme, the government has allocated RM20 million through Budget 2025, he said.
“This allocation is aimed at initiating the consolidation programme, including the costs of rehabilitating abandoned farms, providing basic infrastructure such as access roads and rubber collection centres, supplying tapping equipment, and training for local and foreign workers.
“These funds will also be used for the development of strategic rubber clusters and improvements in logistics systems and storage facilities, with the hope of enhancing productivity and returns for landowners and smallholders,” said Chan.
He said that the ministry recognises the current state and position of the rubber sector, which shows a declining trend at the upstream (production) level.
“Malaysia is currently the eighth-largest natural rubber producer in the world.
“In 2023, Malaysia imported 1.002 million tonnes of natural rubber valued at RM5.73 billion to meet the needs of the local processing and manufacturing sectors,” Chan said.
He added that Malaysia is a net importer of natural rubber.
-- BERNAMA
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