KUCHING: Sarawak is leading Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA)’s rubber replanting drive, contributing 1,116.78 hectares of newly replanted areas, or 28 per cent of the programme’s nationwide total this year.
Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang said the achievement reflected the strong commitment of Sarawak smallholders to rejuvenate their estates, raise productivity and ensure the rubber industry remained viable.
“This performance shows the commitment of Sarawak’s smallholders to empower their plantations, increase productivity and ensure the rubber industry continues to be competitive.
“I hope this momentum can be maintained so that more rural communities can enjoy the benefits,” she said when officiating at the RISDA Smallholders Convention for the Sarawak Zone 2026 at Voco Hotel here today.
Rubiah said Sarawak had significant potential to become a major rubber producer, with approximately 161,000 hectares currently planted with rubber and more suitable land available for cultivation.
“This is an opportunity for us to strengthen rural development and provide more stable, better and sustainable income for rural communities through rubber cultivation,” she said.
She added that RISDA had increased assistance for rubber replanting from RM14,000 to RM22,000 per hectare, taking into account rising planting costs.
Rubiah also urged smallholders to improve productivity and revive underutilised rubber estates, saying Malaysia was targeting the production of one million metric tonnes of natural rubber by 2030.
The target, she said, could not be achieved through government planning alone and required the commitment of smallholders, whom she described as the country’s “rubber heroes”.
She said Sarawak’s smallholders should seize available opportunities and work closely with RISDA and other agencies to expand production and strengthen the state’s position in the national rubber industry.
“We must change our mindset. Rubber still has potential. We have to work together to raise productivity and increase output so that this industry can provide better returns to smallholders and contribute more to the country,” she added.
