Drop in rubber prices force tappers to work part-time

LARUT: A fall in rubber prices and the monsoon season have forced rubber smallholders and tappers to work part-time to survive.

Rubber smallholder Yahaya Abu Bakar, 58, refuses to depend totally on government aid, and carries out farming.

Yahaya, who had a 2.02 ha rubber smallholding in Kampung Kelian Gunung, said the income from the supplementary crops was just adequate to meet the daily needs of his family.

The price of rubber which has gone down to RM1.90 a kilogramme since three years ago significantly affected smallholders and tappers.

“Income is around RM200 a week but if it rains, rubber cannot be tapped and this puts pressure on us. Sometimes we have to tighten our belts,” he said when met in Ijok.

Yahaya hoped rubber prices could be raised to ensure smallholders could live comfortably.

He said although the government offered a rubber floor price of RM2.50 a kilogramme recently, it is still low and should be raised to RM4 or higher.

Rubber tapper, Abu Hassan Mat Hamid, 70, of Kampung Bendang Luas, earned only RM60 after three days of tapping.

“I can only tap for 15 days in a month, and less than that during the rainy season,” he said.

He said many tappers took up jobs such as to carry out weeding at plantations. - FMT