KOTA KINABALU: The Federal Government is stepping up efforts to strengthen Sabah’s smallholder rubber sector by improving productivity, income, and access to fairer markets.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said Risda plans to manage 70,000 metric tonnes of Sabah’s rubber output by 2026 through a network of new collection depots under its Transformation Model 2026–2030.
He said the depots and supporting programmes will help more than 74,000 smallholders sell their rubber more safely and transparently, while reducing their dependence on middlemen.
The initiative, launched at the 2025 Sabah Risda Smallholders Programme attended by 1,000 smallholders, also includes RM44.43 million in allocations for replanting, productivity support, entrepreneurship, Tvet, and agri-food activities.
Ahmad Zahid said these efforts are part of the government’s push to uplift rural Sabah, noting that a stronger rubber ecosystem is vital in addressing poverty and restoring confidence among small farming communities.
