Malaysia plans to build 2,000 crepe film processing plants to help small farmers earn higher income

Zuraida Kamaruddin, the country’s Minister of Planting and Primary Industries, said that the plan is one of the Ministry’s plans under the National Rubber Industry Transformation Plan to increase the income of small farmers
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With these processing plants, smallholders can turn cup rubber blocks (the coagulated rubber produced when latex is not collected and coagulated under the action of bacteria) into higher-value crepe sheets
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This will also prevent smallholders from crossing middlemen in the process and enable them (smallholders) to sell crepe film directly to companies that produce rubber products
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According to Zuraida, small farmers can earn up to RM2,000 a month by selling crepe film, while sales of plastic cups cost 1,000 to 1,300 ringgits a month
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Zuraida added that first, the ministry aims to establish 100 crepe film processing plants in Kedah through the Malaysian Rubber Commission, which accounts for 30% of the country's total rubber production and is the largest rubber producer in Malaysia
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In addition, it is recommended that small rubber farmers establish cooperatives, as this can help them work in an organized manner and help pass government information to them
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