LGM TARGETS REHABILITATION OF 4,137 HECTARES OF ABANDONED PLANTATIONS THIS YEAR, 2,750 HECTARES IN 2027 -- KPK

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) is targeting the rehabilitation of 4,137 hectares of abandoned plantations this year and 2,750 hectares in 2027, involving smallholder farms and private estates nationwide, said the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK).

KPK said that to rehabilitate untapped and abandoned plantation areas, the ministry, through LGM, is implementing recovery and rubber production enhancement efforts under the Mature Abandoned Rubber Plantation Consolidation Programme.

In addition to programmes under KPK, the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) is also carrying out the rehabilitation of abandoned rubber plantations through a different approach, including the Abandoned Rubber Programme (PGT).

“This programme sets an initial physical target of replanting 10,000 hectares per year, involving about 6,700 smallholders nationwide, with an allocation of RM32.4 million in 2025. As of December 2025, LGM is targeting 1,000 hectares to be implemented in the first phase with a total allocation of RM7 million,” KPK said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat published on the parliament website today.

The ministry was responding to a question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN–Padang Terap) on KPK’s strategy to address 420,000 hectares of abandoned rubber plantations nationwide, including the use of a clustered estate model to increase domestic production and reduce dependence on rubber imports valued at RM7.5 billion annually.

KPK said LGM is currently at the early stage of implementing the consolidation programme covering 1,008.86 hectares in collaboration with FELDA, particularly in abandoned rubber plantation areas owned by settlers.

In addition, LGM is intensifying promotional and engagement efforts with estates management companies (EMC), as well as identifying potential plantations owned by government agencies, land schemes, subsidiaries of government agencies, mini-estates and private estates as additional locations to expand the scope of the programme.

The total area of rubber cultivation nationwide that is not being worked on or has been abandoned is estimated at about 205,209 hectares, based on the 2023 Rubber Smallholders Census (BPKG) by RISDA, involving plantations owned by smallholders, federal government agencies, state government agencies and private estates.

According to KPK, these untapped and abandoned areas have a direct impact on the country’s domestic rubber production levels and have led Malaysia to import natural rubber and natural rubber products amounting to RM7.6 billion in 2024.

-- BERNAMA