Price of commodity has dropped since some time ago, planters face problems making ends meet
Shafie (fourth right), Uggah (fiith right) and others giving the ‘1Malaysia’ sign in the company of recipients.— Bernama photo
Tuai Rumah Jilan
BETONG: Rubber smallholders in the state are worried sick over the fall of rubber price in the global market and want the government to implement a price standardisation mechanism.
If the situation persisted, they hope the government will continue to give them financial aid, like what is being done, to lighten their financial hardship.
Tuai Rumah Jilan from Ulu Risau in Saratok, for instance, said the commodity’s price slip had given him sleepless nights, and urged the government to find a way to standardise its price.
“We are not even going to get RM2,000 in monthly income if the price continues to drop,” he told reporters after receiving the government’s special assistance of RM500 from Minister of Rural and Regional Development Dato Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan Sports Hall here yesterday.
According to a Bernama report, the Malaysian rubber market closed mixed yesterday on the back of mild buying interest. At the close, the Malaysian Rubber Board’s official physical price for tyre-grade SMR 20 was unchanged at 527 sen a kg, while latex-in-bulk shed half-a-sen to 451.5 sen a kg.
Jilan said rubber smallholders also hoped that the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Agency (Risda) would take a look at their area at the Phase B scheme. He claimed that some areas in the scheme had not been given enough attention.
On the government’s special assistance to lighten their financial burden in view of the fall in rubber price, Jilan said he would spend the RM500 given on various necessities, besides daily spending.
Fellow rubber planter Laja Brayan, 59, said he was very glad for the government aid.
“We hope such assistance will continue in time to come,” said Laja Duda Naga, 57, from Pakan, said he would use the money to buy things needed in his farm.
“I will use the money to buy pesticides, fertilisers and other necessities. The rest I will use it for daily spending. I hope the government can standardise rubber prices or continue to provide such assistance if the price continues to fall,” said Duda.
Meanwhile, Shafie said a total of 208,000 rubber smallholders in the country had received the special aid thus far.
Shafie (third right) presenting a mock cheque to Wahid (right), while Uggah (second right), Harden (fourth right) and others look on.
“It involves payment of nearly RM104 million from a total of RM154 million that is allocated for the purpose. The one-off payment of RM500 each person will be cleared before Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“The presentation of assistance in Sarawak this time involves 6,677 rubber smallholders with a total payment of RM3.34 million.”
Last year, RM127.336 million was allocated for the same purpose, and 254,672 rubber smallholders benefited from it, stated a recent Bernama report.
Shafie said those who were interested to plant rubber in the state under the Agriculture Department would also receive similar assistance.
“This is in response to the request of the state government that the 13,000 rubber smallholders listed with the Agriculture Department be given assistance. The request was voiced out by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Also present at the function were Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Assistant Minister of Rural Development Datuk Francis Harden, Risda director-general Dato Wan Mohamad Zuki Mohamad and Risda Sarawak director Wahid Marican Mohamad Daud Merican.