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| Sunday, 22 August 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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RRI scientists love to keep nurseries The goal of achieving 1,500 kg of rubber per hectare in 2015 could be shattered if the five nurseries which are managed at present by the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka (RRISL) are handed back to the Rubber Development Department (RDD), Scientific Staff Officers Association (SSOA) of the RRISL warned. At present national rubber production stands at 91 million kg per year from 129,000 hectares. National average productivity is about 700 kg a hectare. Understanding the national importance the RRISL undertook the five nurseries in Gurugoda, Moneragala, Egaloya, Meerigama and Welikadamulla after a decision was taken to close down the RDD. These five nurseries were making heavy loses when managed by the RDD. Competent scientific officers in the RRISL converted these nurseries to be profitable ventures, producing quality plants thereafter, SSOA officials said. One reason for low productivity in rubber plantation in the country is due to the planting of poor quality rubber plants produced unscientifically. These plants have been distributed among smallholders. They comprise 64% of the total extent of rubber in the country, they claimed. The RRISL using its botanists, agronomists, soil chemists, plant pathologists, agricultural economists and qualified technical staff revamped the five nurseries to be profit-making ventures while producing quality plants which can increase the productivity in order to achieve the 2015 set goal. When producing good quality rubber planting materials scientific knowledge should be applied. But RDD has no such professionals to run these nurseries professionally. Handing over the nurseries to RDD could have a vulnerable impact in the long run distributing low quality plants, an official of the Association said. After taking over of the five nurseries by RRISL, production has increased three-fold with the same human resources and the facilities available. They fear that once these five nurseries are handed back to the RDD they will face the same fate experienced in the past and the country's rubber sector will suffer in the long run. The RRISL has scientists doing research on improvement of rubber nurseries and nursery inspection. Therefore, nursery management by the RRISL will not be a burden and additional cost to the Treasury. The Association requests Plantation Industries Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa to reconsider the decision of handing over the five nurseries to the RDD considering its poor performance in the past. |
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