A total of 232,427 smallholders under the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) will receive monsoon season assistance (BMT) this year, involving an allocation of RM185,941,600.
Risda deputy director-general (Development) Ahmad Zainal Abdullah said that each smallholder will receive RM800 each in stages from November.
"The overall amount of RM800 will be paid out in stages from November until next February to every smallholder registered under Risda.
"In addition, to be eligible for the BMT payment, each smallholder must cultivate rubber crops with an area of at least 2.5 hectares and below,” he said.
He said this at a media conference after the launch of the Perak Risda-level Movement to Increase Rubber Productivity Programme (GPPG) at Dewan Jubli Perak here today.
Earlier, the programme was also attended by Perak Risda director Ronni Pasla Mohamed Yusoff, his deputy Mohamad Azli Mohd Shah, Technology Expansion and Transfer Division (BBPT) deputy director Laili Husna Othman as well as 670 smallholders from all the districts in the state.
Ahmad Zainal said Risda was striving to identify the best method or approach to empowering the country's rubber smallholder sector, which contributes to 85 per cent of the nation's natural rubber yields.
He added that, for now, the main focus was towards encouraging rubber smallholders to give their attention to the production of latex either individually or in groups.
"Risda is aware that this latex process needs to go through phases of development and training, but due to the demand and needs of the industry, the opportunity to produce latex needs to be seized as best as possible by the smallholders.
"We also believe that with the diverse natural rubber production, the income of these smallholders can be increased as much as possible," he said.
In a related development, Ahmad Zainal said Risda also offers a Mature Rubber Scheme (SGM), which can help smallholders re-cultivate rubber plantations that are not tapped.
"This scheme includes assistance components from levels one to five through the addition of SGM assistance with a maximum value of RM7,700 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM8,400 in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency