Rubber-based industries booming:
Rubber cultivation in non traditional areas
By Gamini WARUSHAMANNA
The Ministry of Plantation and the Rubber Research Institute (RRI)
has taken steps to extend rubber cultivation to non traditional areas in
the country, especially in the dry zone, said Dr V.H.L.Rodrigo of the
Adaptive Research Unit of the RRI.
He said that with the liberalised economy, rubber-based industries
are booming in Sri Lanka targeting local and export markets.
There is a huge international demand for raw rubber. By the end of
the next four years, the country would need 150,000 MT per year to meet
the escalating demand from local rubber -based industries according to
predictions.
Considering the global demand for raw rubber exports, 200,000 MT of
natural rubber will be produced per year by 2016, according to the
Minister of Plantation Industries, Mahinda Samarasinghe.
Lands in the traditional rubber growing areas, i.e. in the wet zone,
is virtually insufficient to meet this demand.
Therefore, with the directions of the line ministry, rubber
cultivation is being extended to the drier non-traditional areas of the
country. Research on issues in the rubber cultivation has been carried
out by Dr. V.H.L. Rodrigo and Dr. S.M.M. Iqbal of the Adaptive Research
Unit of the RRI.
The first effort, rubber cultivation in the intermediate zone of the
Uva province, particularly the Moneragala district, has been successful
with the ultimate aim of cultivating 40,000 ha of rubber.
Very recently, scientists of the RRI have shown the potential of
cultivating rubber in another 10,000 ha in the intermediate zone of
Eastern province; hence the Rubber Development Department (RDD) has
assisted small-holder development program under Nagenahira Navodaya with
the assistance of local government authorities.Regaining the North drove
the Minister of Plantation Industries to investigate the feasibility of
growing rubber in this region under the Uthuru Vasanthaya.
The mission given in this regard to the RRI was successful with the
assistance of the RDD.
The joint effort made by the staff of RRI, RDD and Ministry of
Plantation Industries has been successful. Interim recommendations have
been issued on the working protocol for rubber cultivation in North, he
said.*
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