Zahid urges Risda to diversify rubber products to stabilise local market prices
BAGAN DATUK: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi urged the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) to intensify efforts in diversifying downstream rubber products as a long-term strategy to stabilise local market prices.
This, he said, is crucial to ensure smallholders are not solely dependent on government interventions to regulate prices, but instead help create sustained demand for rubber-based products.
"Rubber scrap, for instance, can be used to produce biofuels. These products have been certified by standard-setting bodies and hold significant potential for development.
"Successful commercialisation could lead to higher demand for these biofuels and drive up the price of rubber scrap," he told reporters after the Risda Madani Northern Zone Carnival 2025 at Dewan Dato' Mohamed Jamrah in Sungai Sumun today.
Also present at the event were the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, secretary-general Datuk Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar; Risda chairman Manndzri Nasib and director-general Zainal Azni Zulkifli.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said there is strong potential for quality furniture manufacturing with mature rubberwood.
"I have instructed for 40,000 hectares of rubber replanting to be carried out annually. However, the rubberwood must be properly treated to fetch higher prices and ensure greater durability, to align with overseas furniture market demands.
"Muar is home to a furniture industry zone, and reports show that exports exceed RM85 billion, with over 70 percent of raw material sourced from rubberwood.
"We are asking Risda to source rubber seeds that can produce suitable timber," he said.
He expressed confidence that this initiative would boost Risda's income and enable dividend payouts to smallholders from the sale of treated rubberwood, thereby reducing reliance on the government.
The carnival is a Risda initiative under the Madani Rural Aspirations framework introduced by Zahid, aimed at strengthening the development ecosystem for smallholder communities nationwide.
The carnival showcased products by Risda-supported entrepreneurs, as well as the launch of the RisSMart Grocer concept store, a strategic marketing platform for a variety of products, including those from RisSMart 24 and RisSMart Butchery.
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