Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Salim Mohd Shari, said assistance would be provided under the Rehabilitation Plan and includes repairing of agricultural roads to the smallholding.
There are a total of 140 smallholders with total rubber smallholding acreage of 98 hectares that were damaged or destroyed in the flood and water surge incident here, will be given assistance for replanting and redevelopment of their farms.
“Eligible smallholders are entitled to receive the aid at the maximum rate of RM7,710 per hectare for Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak (RM8,205), and Sabah (RM8,290).
“Smallholdings below 5.0 hectares suffering destruction or crop damage will receive assistance in the form of area restoration, fertilisers, seeds, and infrastructure,” he told reporters during his working visit to Kampung Iboi which was badly affected in the disaster, here today.
Mohd Salim, however, said RISDA would continue to identify the total number of smallholders affected to ensure continuous assistance is channelled.
“Baling district has 13,121 smallholders with a total rubber cultivated acreage of 13,988.51 hectares,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Salim said a total of six RISDA-guided entrepreneurs affected by the disaster would also be assisted to restart their respective businesses with two of them suffering destroyed business premises, while the rest faced minor damages.
In addition, he said Risda also carried out corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the Risda Foundation, which provided RM100,000 involving 1,000 packages of food supply assistance to the affected residents.
Mohd Salim said RISDA also will provide one-off cash assistance of RM1,000 per household to 17 families whose houses were destroyed or damaged in the disaster.
The floods and water surge incident which occurred last Monday afternoon displaced 1,490 residents and claimed three lives.
Sources: BERNAMA