KUCHING, June 9 -- The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, through the Malaysian Rubber Board, is intensifying efforts to encourage more smallholders to claim the Rubber Production Incentive (IPG) especially when rubber prices are low.


Deputy Minister Willie Mongin said it was estimated that fewer than two per cent of smallholders in Sarawak had applied for the incentive and, based on the Rubber Transaction Authorisation Permits (PAT-G) issued, the state had 57,108 smallholders, accounting for 12.5 per cent of the country’s total PAT-G registered.
“Sarawak produced about 7,200 tonnes or 1.1 per cent of the 639,830 tonnes of Malaysia’s total natural rubber production in 2019,” he told reporters after visiting Lung Kong Rubber Sdn Bhd’s factory in Siburan here today.
On the visit, he said the purpose was to observe the current developments in the rubber industry, especially during the economic recovery period in the state.
“The visit is expected to assist the ministry in ensuring the planning for programmes and activities to restore the country’s economy, in particular the rubber industry, proceeds smoothly and is effective,” he said.
-- BERNAMA

https://www.bernama.com/en/business/news.php?id=1849488
Source: bernama.com