KUALA LUMPUR: The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) will launch an online application known as the “Sistem Smallholders Rubber Market (e-SRM)” to boost productivity among smallholders.

       Chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif said the application would coordinate the work process in the field and ensure the management and monitoring of mature rubber plantations could be implemented more efficiently and in real time.

       “The application also provides an option for plantation owners to obtain labour services known as Grab Rubber to carry out plantation maintenance activities and produce yields for mature rubber plantations as well as replanting services.

       “Through e-SRM, the issue of lack of tappers, which is a factor in unproductive farms, can be addressed and lead to employment opportunities among the locals,” he told the media at Risda’s iftar ceremony yesterday.

       Risda also presented zakat contributions to six religious institutions which received RM2,000 each.

       Mohd Salim said that according to records, the estimated area of untapped mature rubber in the country is 409,172ha.

       He said since the beginning of the 12th Malaysia Plan, Risda had channelled assistance for the purpose of increasing productivity amounting to more than RM432mil through the mature rubber scheme and marketing infrastructure services initiatives.

       “As a result, in 2021, Risda recorded the productivity of smallholders at 1,573kg per ha per year, which is 98% compared to the key performance indicator (KPI) of 1,600kg.

       “As for the price of rubber at the plantation level, it reached RM554.39, which is 81% compared to the KPI of RM560.67 and also 81.5% of the Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 price,” he added.

       Mohd Salim said Risda also targeted a total of 1,060 smallholders, with an area of 2,014ha of farms, to be given assistance through the latex incentive scheme this year.

       “This is to achieve the target of increasing revenue by 30% compared to scrap rubber.

       “The scheme is to encourage smallholders to produce latex instead of scrap rubber, which involves providing assistance in the form of agricultural inputs and latex price incentive payment of RM1 per kg to smallholders who sell latex at the Risda latex depot,” he added. — Bernama