KLUANG, March 6 — The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) has allocated RM86.57 million this year for productivity development and marketing for smallholders with mature rubber trees nationwide.

Risda chairman, Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif, said that it would benefit 39,620 rubber smallholders who had received assistance in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), thus increasing the income of the group.

“We are focusing on several programmes to achieve an increase in income of RM4,500 per household by 2025.

“It includes the Rubber Productivity Improvement; Rubber and Latex Incentive Scheme; Marketing Infrastructure Development and Special Smallholding Rehabilitation Plan,” he said at a press conference, after presenting the Commercial Replanting Scheme (TSK) Dividend at Simpang Renggam here today.

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He said that, through the scheme, Risda took the initiative under the replanting development programme which was implemented in groups, where 30 per cent was developed by Risda Holdings Group or Smallholder Cooperative as the managing agent to produce latex.

Therefore, Risda has set a smallholders latex production zone, with the ratio of the establishment of a latex collection depot (DPL) for every 500 to 1,000 hectares of rubber area.

He also asked Risda youths to venture into rubber cultivation while carrying out additional economic activities by using special grants provided by Risda.

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At the event, Mohd Salim presented the TSK oil palm dividends to 52 participants, amounting to RM26,000 from the TSK Kampung Parit Seraya Project, Pontian.

TSK is a commercial replanting programme through the consolidation of smallholdings, managed by Risda Plantation Sdn Bhd, from the development stage to the production and marketing of products, for an area of at least 40 hectares. — Bernama