2/4/07 (The Star) MARAN -  Smallholders are urged to enhance their knowledge in the rubber and palm oil industries as well as livestock farming and aquaculture so that they could increase their family income.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin said the move would help reduce the number of hardcore poor in the country.

He said that at the same time the Smallholders Development Institute should provide intensive training to smallholders and expose them to new technologies and methods.

“I hope the institute will offer relevant courses to re-train smallholders and change their mentality so that they could improve their standard of living.

“For example, rubber smallholders must make full use of their land by planting at least 500 rubber trees per hectare,” he said after opening the Risda smallholders institute in Kampung Awah near here recently.
Abdul Aziz said by exploiting the acreage, the smallholders would be able to produce 2,300kg of rubber which could fetch an income of RM2,000 a month.