KUALA LUMPUR: The Plantation and Commodities Ministry (KPK) has launched a new model of the Latex Production Incentive pilot project (IPL) and the Malaysian Sustainable Natural Rubber pilot project (MSNR) to increase the country's latex production.

The launch was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at the Statistics Training Centre in Sungkai, Perak.

KPK said the new model of the IPL pilot project aims to help small rubber farmers increase their income by encouraging them to switch to the production of rubber milk instead of scrap rubber.

At the same time, it also helps to increase latex production to cover the supply of latex in the downstream sector of the country.

"Through the new model of the IPL, participants from rubber smallholders will receive several incentives that will be evaluated based on the productivity of the latex that will be produced at a rate that has been set.

"Latex processing factories that are selected in the IPL new model pilot project will obtain benefits involving special permission to collect latex with certain conditions, and loan of facilities and equipment, such as RRIMMeter," Fadillah said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, the MSNR pilot project is the preparation by the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) to prepare the Malaysian rubber industry to implement MSNR compliance at the national level, in addition to leading the production of natural rubber and sustainable rubber products in the world.

The MSNR pilot project will be begin in several selected states in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak with the participation of smallholders, rubber traders, and processing factories.

--BERNAMA