SEREMBAN, Aug 5 — The government plans to boost the country’s latex production by 30 per cent to 40,000 tonnes annually to help meet the demand of the rubber-based downstream sector, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said.

Fadillah, who is also Plantation and Commodities Minister, said the government has already introduced the Latex Production Incentive (IPL) which is under the Malaysian Rubber Board’s supervision.

"The incentive is aimed at giving rubber smallholders the opportunity to increase their income by motivating them to shift towards the production of latex rather than cuplump.

"This measure will also help the nation reduce its dependency on latex imports valued at some RM3 billion annually,” he told the media during a visit to the Kampung Kuala Sawah Rubber Collection Centre in Rantau, Negeri Sembilan, today.

Following the visit, Fadillah also greeted more than 150 rubber smallholders and community members, including youth, during the chat session at the village.

This was part of the Trek Komoditi (Commodity Trek) programme organised by the Plantation and Commodities Ministry in the peninsula’s central zone from Aug 5-6, 2023.

Besides the chat session, Fadillah also visited a local rubber tree orchard and observed directly the rubber collection process from there to the collection centre. — Bernama