Farmers should apply new techniques into rubber plantations

Some households chop rubber trees to plant other kinds of trees.

This statement is from Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the provincial department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the face of chopping rubber trees at some rubber growing households, owing to latex price plunge.

Reportedly, many rubber plantations being chopped for selling wood are from low capacity plantations. Besides, owing to latex price plunge, some rubber growing households worry about their main income.

At present, many rubber growing households have sold rubber trees for woodwork. What do you think of this status?

Based on functional agencies’ assessment, demand on rubber materials has still increased but supply is higher than demand. This triggers latex price plunge. In the coming time, price of rubber latex will show positive changes.

In terms of rubber plantations with low capacity, the local department of Agriculture and Rural Development encourages farmers to renovate or re-plant or shift to kinds of trees in conformity with local soil and climate. This will ensure local planning area of perennial tree and facilitate local farmers’ stability in income. In addition, rubber tree is a kind of perennial tree, so farmers should calculate long-term efficiency.

To ensure income amid latex price plunge, what should rubber growers do?

Unlike other kinds of trees, rubber tree gives a period of planting and exploitation of about 30 years with stable expense. Therefore, income from rubber tree is still more stable than other kinds of trees. On average, one ha of rubber will give a profit of VND15-20mn. This profit includes compensation and deduction for price plunge periods.

At present, owing to plunge of latex price, growers should continue to take care of rubber plantations, apply new techniques into their plantations. In addition, in order to cut expenses of labor, growers should apply tapping method of D3 (once every 3 days) of D4 (once every 4 days). With the tapping method, this kind of tree will keep good stability and give stable and sustainable output.

Moreover, farmers will enjoy cutting of expense and labor. In the meantime, growers can plant more other kinds of trees such as manioc, vegetables amid their rubber plantations.

After chopping rubber trees, some will newly plant rubber trees or shift to plant other kinds of trees. In this case, what should farmers do to win efficiency in shifting trees?

When planting other trees, aside from rubber tree, farmers should calculate economic problem. For instance, planting one ha of citrus tree such as orange, grapefruit, etc, grower must spend over VND500mn and wait for at least 3 years for harvest. This way is suitable to households winning big and stable capital sources.

Meanwhile, for newly planting of rubber tree, farmers should choose high capacity nurslings, suiting to local soil and climate condition. It takes 6-7 years for rubber growers to harvest the first season crop, so they can grow other short-term trees such as vegetables, manioc, water melon in rubber plantations to improve their life. This is also a measure that the local agriculture sector is encouraging local farmers to raise breeding and farming in a bid to assure income while waiting harvest of rubber plantation.

Reported by H.Pham – Translated by A.C