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New Rubber cultivation programme at Badulla and Moneragala

A programme to bring 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) under new rubber cultivation is to be implemented in the Moneragala District by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and the Rubber Development Department immediately. This has been decided by the Ministry following extensive research carried out by the USAID, Rubber Research Institute and Sri Lanka Rubber Institute.

After the Colombo conference of the biggest natural rubber producers of the world in last April the rubber prices went up to Rs. 75 per kilo of sheet rubber from a mere Rs. 30 per kilo. This encouraged the local rubber growers who had hitherto given up rubber planting to take to rubber growing again.

The present rubber production is to 86,000 metric tons per year. The demand for 2010 is estimated at 150,000 metric tons a year. In order to meet this demand, the Ministry of Plantation Industries has decided to bring more suitable land under new rubber cultivation.

Because of low rainfall in the Moneragala District rubber tapping can be carried out for more days than in the wet zone, thus the output could be increased. This will be a great advantage for the growers.

According to Hapugastenna Plantation Co. Ltd. their Bibile rubber plantations have produced 2400 metric tons per hectare per year compared with 950 metric tons per hectare per year, produced by rubber plantations at places like Kalutara, Kegalle-Mawanella and Ratnapura etc. where the rainfall is much more than at Moneragala.

In order to educate all concerned with the rubber growing and the new programme, a seminar presided by. Minister of Plantation Industries, Lakshman Kiriella and the participation of Deputy Minister, Navin Dissanayake and the M.P. of Moneragala District, Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been organised for November 1 at 10 a.m. to be held at the Provincial Secretariat, Moneragala. At this seminar the Coordinating Officer of the Rubber Institute Lanka Paranavithana will speak on the future of natural rubber. Deputy Director of Rubber Research Institute Dr. Asoka Nugawela will speak on the suitability of Moneragala District for rubber cultivation.

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