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Government Gazette

Rubber industry gets Rs. 400 million boost

The Government is to invest over Rs. 400 million on the rubber industry this year to encourage future markets for rubber products, Director Rubber Research Institute Dr. Asoka Nugawela told the Daily News.

He said the future requirement for rubber will be more than 150,000 metric tons per year and raw material should be available to meet this demand.

To meet this demand the Rubber Research Institute has developed a new clone which would give a yield of 2,500 kg per year per hectare annually which is the maximum potential level. At present the growers get only 1100 kg per hectare.

The Rubber Development Department is in the process of moving away from confining to traditional growing areas and has started expanding to non-traditional areas such as Moneragala, Matale and also to the Eastern province as a long-term measure to develop the industry.

In 2006 the total production of rubber was 109,000 metric tons and this was an increase of 5,000 metric tons compared to 2005.

Dr. Nugawela said 60 per cent of the growers are smallholders and high yield clones RRISL 2003, 2001 have been introduced to them. Two sub-stations in Polgahawela and Kurunegala have been set up for the benefit of smallholders.

A subsidiary of Rs. 125,000 per hectare is paid to the growers along with a good extension system to educate them through new technology. The RRI has undertaken to supply high quality plants to growers and nursery owners through the Institute and to monitor the progress of plants to ensure they produce high quality rubber as it is a very important factor.

Among other measures the rubber tappers are provided with rain guards so that there won’t be any delays due to rain.

Dr. Nugawela said the rubber manufacturing sector is also growing fast at present and they are also getting a good price for their products as a result of exporting value added products unlike in the past.

“However the increased income of the rubber sector is because of the increased prices in the market and not because of the increase in productivity. The growers should make an attempt to increase productivity by using all the resources to yield high returns for the money the Government invests.”

Nugawela warned that rubber cultivation is tricky and accurate predictions cannot be made.

“Therefore increasing productivity is the best survival method in a sudden collapse of the cultivation,” he said.

Around 500,000 people depend on the rubber industry.

 

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