KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — The government’s willingness to consider drastic measures to help rubber settlers switch to other commodity crops such as oil palm will help provide them with a better income in the future.
A second-generation settler in Felda Chuping, Perlis, Rosmadi Setu, 55, said the unstable rubber price, dropping to as low as RM2.70 per kilogramme currently, had forced him to find another job.
“At the moment, I’m working as a tractor driver. the RM100 I got as a rubber tapper is not enough to cover the household expenses, especially with me having to raise four children.
“Alhamdulillah, this (switch to other crops) is much awaited by the settlers and we want to go back to work on our farm,” he told Bernama.
His views are shared by Musa Mat, 75, a first-generation Felda Chuping settler, who said it is better to have oil palm plantations than rubber plantations.
The rubber yield is low compared to its operational costs such as for pesticides, fertiliser and payment to the rubber tappers, he added.
“When it rains, we cannot tap the rubber trees. Unlike the oil palms, harvesting can be done regardless of the weather condition,” said Musa, who has six children.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Pin, 70, said that although he is more comfortable being a rubber smallholder because he can work on his own without having to hire others, he would agree to the switch if the majority of the settlers are in favour of it.
“In my present condition, I don’t think I’m fit to manage an oil palm smallholding and will have to hire workers. Switching to oil palm is also good because it opens up job opportunities and attracts young people back to the plantation,” he said.
Head of Felda Lok Heng Selatan settlers, in Johor, Muhammad Bakar said the government’s efforts to help rubber settlers switch to oil palm would help more rubber smallholders cross the poverty line thus improving their socioeconomic level.
Muhammad said that the rubber settlers had wanted to switch to other crops, especially oil palm, a long time ago considering that the price of oil palm is between RM700 and RM800 per metric ton compared to the ceiling price of rubber, which is RM2.70 per kilogramme.
“This switch is very good because of the unstable price of rubber… Another factor is the use of labour in rubber plantations, the wage for workers is too high compared to oil palm plantation workers.
“The cost of other inputs, such as fertiliser, is also high, and when it rains, we have to hang our tapping knife,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Muhammad said it is also easier to manage an oil palm plantation than a rubber plantation.
Even the oil palms can last longer, for up to 25 years, while rubber trees have to be replanted after five to six years, he added.
Last Friday (July 7) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced several initiatives and incentives to improve the quality of life and preserve the welfare of Felda settlers, including providing infrastructure, healthcare, digitalisation and housing.
He also announced the Digital MADANI programme to empower the gig economy, resolutions to issues with regard to the Felda New Generation Housing (PGBF) scheme and efforts to help rubber smallholders switch to other commodity crops such as palm and coconut.
