SEMATAN, 8 FEBRUARY, 2012: The federal government through Risda has allocated RM67.5 million for rubber replanting in Sarawak, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu today.

   
Jabu, who is also Agriculture Modernisation Minister and Rural Development Minister, said the project involved a total area of 5,000 hectares with replanting carried out on a small-scale basis throughout Sarawak.
    
"The big allocation to assist the rubber smallholders shows that the government does not marginalise rural folk," he said when launching a Sarawak Risda programme in Kampung Sebat Melayu, here.
    
Jabu said he wanted more rubber smallholders to participate in the Risda replanting scheme in order to raise their income.
    
He said they also needed to change their planting methods by attending courses and undertaking best farming practices including the right way of applying fertiliser.
    
Risda chairman Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik who was also present, said Risda was prepared to expand its operations to Asean countries soon, particularly Cambodia.
    
He said for a start, Risda would send some senior officers to Cambodia to look at the logistics and land there before discussing the plans with the Cambodian authorities.
    

- Bernama