THE GOLD RUSH

 

 

The Tree

   Hevea brasiliensis, also known as the Para rubber tree after the Brazilian port of Para, is a quick growing, fairly sturdy, perennial tree of a height of 25 to 30 metres. It has a straight trunk and thick, somewhat soft, light brownish grey bark. The young plant shows characteristic growth pattern of alternating period of rapid elongation and consolidated development. The leaves are trifoliate with long stalks. The tree is deciduous in winters from December to February in India. Refoliation is quick and copious flowering follows. Flowers are small but appearing in large clusters. Fruits are three lobed, each holding three seeds, quite like castor seeds in appearance but much larger in size. The seeds are oil bearing.Rubber latex is extracted from rubber trees. The economic life period of rubber trees in plantations is around 32 years – up to 7 years of immature phase and about 25 years of productive phase.

 

The Requirements

The soil requirement of the plant is generally well-drained, weathered soil consisting of laterite, lateritic types, sedimentary types, nonlateritic red, or alluvial soils.

The climatic conditions for optimum growth of rubber trees are:

• Rainfall of around 250 cm evenly distributed without any marked dry season and with at least 100 rainy days per year
• Temperature range of about 20 to 34°C, with a monthly mean of 25 to 28°C
• High atmospheric humidity of around 80%
• Bright sunshine amounting to about 2000 hours per year at the rate of six hours per day throughout the year. 

   The NE Scenerio.

                     The favourable climatic conditions found in the Northeast are suitable for the flourishing growth of rubber trees and nearly 4,50,000 hectares of the region’s arable lands has already been marked for rubber farming. The commercial rubber plantation in the Northeast was introduced during the British colonial rule.

                  Farmers in the regions are now fast realizing the economical viability of rubber cultivation and they have started growing these valuable cash crops on large scales. A perfect example could be seen at Dhoopcherra village in Tripura, where the Jhumia tribals are practicing rubber cultivation. In other states like Assam, farmers of Karbi Anglong and Gopalpara districts are enthusiastically taking up rubber cultivation on a big scale. A figure in 2007 shows over 2,900 hectares of land in Gopalpara are under Rubber cultivation and it provides a source of livelihood to nearly 7,000 families. In 2007-08 Tripura had 41,165 hectares of land under rubber cultivation; Assam had 18,225, Meghalaya 6,838, Nagaland 2,697, Manipur 1,914, Mizoram 551 and Arunachal 458 hectares.

               Rubber cultivation is a labour-intensive practice and thus generates rural employment. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Rubber Board has implemented various projects such as the ‘Accelerated Development of Rubber Plantation’ and ‘Rubber Development’ in the North East. Awareness camps and training programmes are being held for farmers. Besides, subsidies and work, land is also provided to them. Local rubber farmers in Gopalpara district are already benefiting from the venture.

 

The Manipur Scenerio

      Plantation of rubber having found suitable in South-Western part of Manipur, there is quite a good scope for cultivation of rubber in Jiribam area. In general, rubber trees can be put under tapping after 7 years of plantation and the financial returns would outpace the investment once tapping/production of raw rubber commences.

Rubber Plantation in Jiribam is presently giving satisfaction to the following objectives:

1. To generate employment
2. To put abandoned jhum/degraded land under productive use.
3. To demonstrate a viable alternative to shifting cultivation.
4. To open avenue for new rubber based industrial ventures and,
5. To earn revenue

 In the last 3-4 years many businessmen, professionals and people from other professions have started Rubber plantation in Jiribam. Not only people from Manipur but people from Barak valley, Gauhati etc have started investing on Rubber in Jiribam. Small Hotels have mushroomed facilitating planters from various part of North East in their visits.

My  Story.

 

 

In June 2010, I started planting 800 rubber plants in 2 hectares of land at Jiribam in association with one of my friends. Barbed Wire fencing was done in the boundary of the farm. The Rubber board reimburses expenditure on my barbed wiring expenses the following year. During December in 2012, the trees have grown more than 10 feet with small stem, so bamboo support was given to save the plant from strong winds. Grass cutting was done two times in a year. In 2013, the rubber plants have reached an average height of 18 feet. The stems have not grown bigger so that year again Bamboo support was given to protect from the strong wind.  During the end of 2014, I went to check the trees which have grown more than 25 feet. The trees have spread their branches and have grown drastically. The fencing posts were changed with new ones. The trees were painted with lime upon 5 feet. I notice two trees destroyed by strong wind and few more destroyed my termites. This June I shall be giving my trees with fertilizers and will plant more in the available space. After 3 years I am sure my trees will give a return of Rs 3/ per day  for 10 months in a year.