RM14 million allocation to help RISDA smallholders

The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development through the Rubber Industry Small Holders Development Authority (Risda) has allocated RM14 million to help uplift the smallholders in the Pensiangan, Tenom and Keningau parliamentary constituencies in Sabah this year.

Pensiangan UMNO chief Datuk Abdul Ghani Yassin said the allocation would be channelled to finance the rubber replanting programme, entrepreneurship and development programmes as well as other related matters.

"Since 2010, Risda has received an allocation of RM114 million from the ministry for the same purpose," he said when opening the 'Kasihi Pekebun Risda' (Moh Ngeteh) programme with local leaders in Kampung Dua, Nabawan, on Sunday.

Ghani said Risda aimed to produce 2,000 kilogrammes of rubber per hectare in smallholdings in the area in 2020.

Therefore, he said smallholders should increase their knowledge of modern farming methods besides understanding how to use the relevant technologies, including clone rubber seeds, to increase production.

Earlier, Keningau District Risda officer Ahmad Zaharif Arbi said since 2010, 10,000 hectares of the rubber trees were replanted involving 3,000 smallholders in Pedalaman Atas.

-- BERNAMA