KUCHING: For Romula Saging Bachan, tapping rubber is more than just a village occupation to earn a living. It is an endeavour that can provide a good income and improve his family’s future if pursued with dedication.
His hard work eventually paid off when the 42-year-old smallholder from Rumah Panjang Ajong, Ulu Padeh, Betong, was named Sarawak Zone’s Best RISDA Smallholder Figure at the 2026 Rural and Industrial Development Authority (RISDA) Sarawak Zone Smallholders Convention, officiated by Deputy Minister for Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang here today (Aug 9).
Romula said the recognition had motivated him to continue managing his rubber and pepper farms with his wife, while demonstrating to the community that rubber tapping had value and a future.
“Rubber tapping is not just about earning enough to get by. If we put in the effort, we can succeed just like those who plant oil palm or black pepper.
“I hope young people will not look down on rubber tapping because if it is managed properly, the income can help improve their lives,” he said.
Romula currently manages about 5,000 rubber trees, including about 3,000 trees planted across seven hectares in 2021, as well as about 2,000 trees planted in 2015 through a RISDA replanting programme.
He said the plantation could generate between RM2,000 and RM3,000 a month during favourable weather conditions and when rubber prices were around RM3.80 per kilogramme, although tapping was only carried out for about 15 days a month.
“If the price is above RM4, the income will be better. So it really depends a lot on the price,” he said.
Apart from rubber, Romula also manages more than 2,000 pepper plants, which generated about RM18,000 in sales last year before deducting the cost of fertilisers and pesticides.
He said RISDA’s support had also helped improve the management of his farms, including repairing access roads to the plantation, providing fertilisers and tapping knives, as well as offering guidance on rubber tree maintenance.
“The important thing is taking care of the rubber trees. RISDA teaches us how to maintain the trees, and that is something they really emphasise,” he said.
Romula said his rubber produce was previously sold to middlemen, but since early this year, he had started selling to RISDA following encouragement from the agency.
He said the price offered by RISDA had at times been about 20 sen higher than that offered by middlemen, providing greater returns to smallholders.
For Romula, his achievement was the result of consistent effort with his wife without relying on outside workers.
He hoped the recognition would serve as an example that the smallholder sector still had great potential, particularly for young people interested in entering agriculture.
“Do not look down on this work. If we are hardworking and know how to manage the farm, rubber tapping can also provide a good life,” he said.
The 2026 RISDA Sarawak Zone Smallholders Convention featured six award categories recognising the achievements of Sarawak smallholders in productivity, farm management and entrepreneurship.
The awards included the Best Rubber Productivity Award, Best Mature Rubber Farm Management Award, Best RISDA-Guided Entrepreneur Award, Best Agro-Food Project Award and Sarawak Zone Smallholder Figure Award.
Also present were Deputy Secretary-General (Development) of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Dr Roslan Mahmood and RISDA Director-General Zainal Azni Zulkifli.
