Rubber industry gets Rs. 400 million boost
Ramani Kangaraarachchi
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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