RM29 MILLION FOR RUBBER REPLANTING IN SABAH - DOMPOK

RM195 mln allocation for rubber replanting

PENAMPANG 25th Oct 2011: The federal government has approved an allocation ofRM194.723 million for the rubber replanting programme and new rubber cultivation nationwide for the 2011-2012 period.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, said from this amount, the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (SRIB) was allocated RM29 million for rubber replanting on 2,000 hectares of land and new cultivation involving 5,000 hectares.

He said RM112,723 million was set aside for Risda for rubber replanting involving 24,000 hectares in the peninsula, 4,000 hectares in Sabah with the SRIB, and 10,000 hectares in Sarawak.

“The allocation for Risda will also be used for new cultivation on 3,000 hectares in the peninsula,” he said in his speech at the handing-over of rubber replanting and new cultivation incentives at the Sabah Cultural Centre, here, yesterday.

Dompok said the big allocation for the rubber sector proved that the government did not sideline rural people, especially those involved in the rubber industry. He said the government was always taking proactive measures to ensure the target groups would benefit from development efforts.

He also disclosed that since 2000, the SRIB had received 10,481 applications to join the rubber group replanting scheme involving 37,164.34 hectares covering 374 blocks in 24 small districts statewide.

Dompok said under the scheme, RM14,000 per hectare was given to the participating smallholders in Sabah and the assistance included high-quality rubber clones.