Sharp improvement in rubber cultivation
 

by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi

There was a sharp improvement in rubber cultivation during the past two years. The estimated rubber planted in the island last year was 117,700 hectares whereas it was 114,681 ha in 2002 when the Rubber Development Department was earmarked to be closed by the then government.

According to Sri Lanka's rubber statistics 42,419 ha of rubber land were converted into other crops or were blocked out for land sales in 2001.

Director General, Rubber Development Department Wimal Rubasinghe said that the emerging enthusiasm for rubber replanting and new-planting will continue in the future.

"This is the feasible assumption that can be drawn from the viable marketing status of rubber in the world market. The ever increasing demand for natural rubber (NR) in the world market gives a high price for rubber. This is one reason which encourages people to grow rubber, he said.

The natural rubber price took an upward trend in 2002 where the sheet rubber price of Rs. 70 per kilo increased to Rs. 216 per kilo in the local market recently.

The encouraging high world market rubber price prevailing today will continue for a few decades more, he said. According to the DG maintenance cost of rubber cultivation is comparatively lower than tea and other crops.

"Under the BOI scheme, foreign and local investors established a number of natural rubber based (NR based) industries in the country. The demand for NR has increased sharply even in the local market. The total NR Production (yield) last year was MT 109,000 and 70 per cent of it was consumed by local industrialists.

This trend will improve and the country may face difficulties to cope with the local NR demand in the near future, he said.

The timely decisions taken by the Government, such as reorganisation of the Rubber Development Department, increasing the rubber subsidy by 25 per cent (Rs. 100,000-125,000) implementation of an exclusive program to plant and replant new rubber helped in the improvement of rubber cultivation during the past few years, he said.

He said the new planting rubber projects in non traditional rubber areas such as Moneragala and Hambantota were highly successful. According to the DG the country needs over one million clonal grafts to achieve the set targets by the Department.

"The nurseries run by the Government cannot supply all rubber plants and the support of the private nurseries to supplement the national need is vital.

This is a two-pronged program and it will meet the country's rubber requirement as well as the job opportunities of the rural masses, he said.

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