KOTA KINABALU: Smallholder rubber farmers in Sabah could see their monthly income rise from about RM1,800 to RM5,000 by 2050 under the V50 Strategic Roadmap launched by the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) at Wisma Pertanian on Thursday.
State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar said the 25-year roadmap provides a clear operational guide with a five-year medium-term target to move smallholders out of the low-income bracket.
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He said the board has widened its focus beyond rubber into padi, pineapples, Musang King durians, honey bees and other supplementary crops to help rural families earn more after morning tapping ends.
Jamawi said institutional reforms, including activating its commercial arm LIGS Solutions, would strengthen value chains, downstream activities and market access without sidelining smallholders, even as global rubber prices remain volatile.
The launch, which coincided with Jamawi’s birthday, also highlighted steady premium durian prices in Sabah and ongoing government support such as production incentives, underscoring confidence that the roadmap can modernise the sector while keeping farmers at its centre.
