Government Opens Opportunities for Rubber Farmers to Receive Fertiliser Subsidies

Kutai Kartanegara, Kompas.com – Rubber commodities have yet to receive fertiliser subsidy allocations from the Government. This has emerged as one of the key complaints raised by rubber farmers in Marangkayu District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan.

In response, Deputy Minister of Transmigration Viva Yoga Mauladi stated that the Ministry of Transmigration will advocate for rubber commodities to be included in the fertiliser subsidy scheme. He cited the fact that the majority of rubber plantations in Indonesia are owned by smallholder farmers as a reason for pushing for subsidy support.

“Efforts to advocate for rubber commodities to eventually receive fertiliser subsidies represent the right approach. Why? Because 90 per cent of rubber farmers are smallholder farmers,” he said during a Rubber Farming Deliberation in Sebuntal Village, Marangkayu District, Kutai Kartanegara, on Saturday (23 May 2026).

Beyond fertiliser subsidies, Viva indicated that the Government will also promote a replanting programme for rubber plants, viewed as a critical challenge to increasing productivity. “Replanting is necessary because production has declined, as most rubber trees are over 25 years old,” he explained.

Viva also noted that many rubber farmers in Indonesia originate from transmigration zones, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan regions. “Rubber farmers number approximately 2.1 million households across Indonesia, with the majority dispersed across Sumatra and Kalimantan. Most are located in transmigration areas,” Viva said.

According to him, this situation warrants the attention of the Ministry of Transmigration to enhance the welfare of transmigration and former transmigration communities. “It is therefore important and our responsibility to ensure that transmigration and former transmigration zone residents can increase their income and achieve prosperity,” he stated.

Viva noted that improving welfare requires collaboration with other ministries, including the Ministry of Agriculture, BRIN (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), and the Ministry of Public Works. Additionally, the Ministry of Transmigration is exploring opportunities for developing intercropping patterns for rubber farmers in transmigration zones to supplement household income.

Sugianto (64), originally from Sukoharjo, Central Java, still recalls when he departed to participate in the transmigration programme to East Kalimantan.