Malaysia: Sabah State Govt Takes Steps To Arrest Decline In Rubber Price

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TUARAN, July 18 (Bernama) — The Sabah state government is taking steps to assist rubber smallholders, apart from providing a special assistance, to overcome the current fall in the price of the commodity.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said the decline at the moment was universal and unrelated to the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) or the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

“The truth is, the rubber price is influenced by supply and global demand.

“The fall in the rubber price is not just in Sabah or peninsular Malaysia, but in all producer countries in the world such as Thailand, Indonesia, India and Vietnam,” he told reporters here after presenting the special assistance.

At the same ceremony, 323 rubber tappers also received the special aid.

Yahya, who is also the Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said Malaysia was the fifth largest producer of natural rubber globally with an annual production of 845,000 metric tonnes.

“At present, supply is exceeding demand and this has caused the rubber price to plunge. The price of rubber in the international market is beyond the control of the government,” he added.

He said 27,607 smallholders in Sabah were registered with the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) involving 77,737 hectares.

Yahya said 2,042 smallholders registered with the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority(RISDA) had been given financial assistance of RM1,021,000, as of July 3.

“LIGS and RISDA are actively cooperating to provide information on this, circulating forms, alongside registering smallholders and rubber tappers in the state,” he added.

He said from August 2012, the state government was still continuing with its Rubber Production Incentive of 50 sen for every kilogramme of cured rubber produced by the smallholders.

He said the incentive scheme is to encourage smallholders to indulge in

Good Agricultural Practices to enhance rubber yields and streamline the price between Sabah and the peninsular.

— BERNAMA

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