KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) — The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) has been asked to cooperate with Felcra and Felda to create a consortium to carry out various high-impact downstream projects in future.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the projects carried out by the three largest plantation agencies in the country had many similarities and it was thus inappropriate for them to be carried out separately.
He said the collaboration could derive profits for the agencies concerned besides expanding supplementary businesses and boosting the smallholders’ income.
“RISDA has been asked to expand downstream industry projects for implementation through collaboration with Felda and Felcra, including in the management of farms and factories,” he said.
He said this to reporters after attending a RISDA briefing and officiating the Excellent Service Award presentation at the RISDA headquarters, here today.
Ismail Sabri said as an example, the three agencies concerned could plan for the setting up of a factory to produce vehicle spare parts which could be shared by Felda settlers as well as RISDA and Felcra participants.
“The three agencies can share in setting up a rubber-based vehicle spare part factory to produce car spare parts, tyres and others for mutual benefits,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry was always looking for approaches to diversify programs to assist the 532,000 smallholders involving a total area of 2.5 million hectares throughout the country especially when the rubber price was declining.
The minister said RISDA had assisted about 10,000 smallholders to get capital assistance of RM10,000 each to carry out various supplementary activities such as entrepreneurship besides aid for agricultural inputs.
At the event, Ismail Sabri presented RISDA Excellent Service Awards to 341 recipients.
