BERA, PAHANG: Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said if the government is chosen again in the 15th General Election (GE-15) the smallholders will continue to get assistance and benefits from the government incentives such as the Monsoon Season Aids.
Ismail said, the government will add RM200 to RM800 for the Monsoon Season Aids with the allocation of RM256 million for the period of four months involving 320,000 small holders of RISDA and FELDA.
“The government will have a bigger allocation for the smallholder community that is an increase of 18.1 per cent amounting to RM600 million compared to RM508 million that had been channelled this year.
“This allocation has proven that the government is very concern on the development of the rubber commodity sector that has been initiated by the smallholders,” Ismail said in his speech at the Prosperous Smallholders’ Keluarga Malaysia held at the Public Field, Kampung Batu Papan here on 30th Oct.2022.
The Prime Minister added, in the 2023 Budget the government had allocated RM2.6 billion to the commodity sector and RISDA is involved as one of the main agencies to monitor the commodity activities.
“Among the initiatives that will be implemented to develop the national commodity sector includes RM315 million allocations for the Development of the Areas for Rubber Smallholders Programme to replace old rubber trees for the benefit of 387,000 smallholders.
“The Redevelopment of New Production Programme will also be implemented to encourage smallholders to explore new income besides rubber such as growing food crops for short term with the allocation of RM40 million,” Ismail said.
The Prime Minister also stressed, to increase the income of rubber smallholders; the Production of Latex Incentive will be introduced together with the TARGET programme to uplift the supply of rubber raw materials via cooperatives.
Ismail said, the Agriculture Protection Scheme will also be introduced to protect agriculture entrepreneurs from any risk outside their control such as weather, disease and crop pests starting with the padi planters.
“For the Orang Asli in Bera, the Orang Asli Replant Plantation Project will be implemented covering replanting of rubber trees and palm oil,” Ismail said. – Malaysia World News
