Market and product

A man collecting rubber from farmers in Julau and Kanowit said Bumiputera rubber collectors were unhappy with the difference in the pricing.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he urged the authority to address the issue immediately. He said this had been haunting the Bumiputera rubber collectors since two years ago.

“Bulk buying of rubber is usually done according to grade. Grade A, for example, is RM10.50 per kg.

“But what happens now is there are two prices for the same grade and usually good prices will be given to collectors who are friends of the buyer or wholesaler,” he claimed.

He said collectors have no choice but to pay less to the tappers.

In spite of that, he said some Bumiputera rubber collectors were facing the prospect of going bankrupt.

He explained that the high monthly cost of transporting the rubber, bank loan repayment and wages for the workers are hurting their business.

According to him, the difference in the prices by 80 sen of the original purchase price and the price offered by the factory might not appear to be significant.

“But when it gets to larger quantities, the losses are in thousands of ringgit,” he said. He said he had to spend more to hire boats and on petrol to collect rubber in the interior.

“Someone has to collect from small holders in the interior but I am not sure if the effort is worth it. If I don’t do it the smallholders will suffer as well,” he lamented.