MARAN: The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) needs 30 million rubber seedlings for a replanting project involving over 41,000 hectares of land nationwide next year.
State Agriculture, Agrobased Industry and Felda Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Tan Mohd Aminuddin Ishak said therefore smallholders were encouraged to sell their rubber seedlings to the nearest Risda station.
He said to produce more quality seedlings, Risda required about 300,000 tonnes of rubber seedlings to process.
“Risda will pay RM3 per kilogramme of rubber seed and this campaign began two months ago,” he said after a meeting with residents in Chenor, here yesterday.
In another development, he called on smallholders to take advantage of any aid given by the government and to be disciplined in their work as stability in the rubber price can generate economy.
He also suggested that residents use new rubber clones and modern tapping equipment to yield more and better quality latex.
The future of natural rubber was promising and its demand is on the rise following more countries opting for natural rubber, which was of better quality than synthetic rubber, he added. — Bernama