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Wednesday 26 February 2014

Rubber Tree! Why Are You Driving Us Out of Jungle?

            It pained me! Yes, it pained me a lot. Pained me because, I can no longer hear the chirping sounds of birds and ever quarrelling monkey in our old, very old family orchard of Mango, Jackfruit, Tamarind, Banana, Bamboo, Teak, Gamai (Gmelia)and other forest species.
            It was only our family orchard that used to make unique look to our small and scattered village under newly formed gomati district because, orchard to the size of ours and also forest become rare due to the popularization of rubber plantation that has taken a root in the mind of the villagers so is their economic prosperity now.
            It was really very disturbing, creating nuisance and destructing what is available in the orchard and kitchen garden of the family. And, it is none other than the monkey who was creating these problems.
            All monkeys were around the village, houses, kitchen garden and eating up of all vegetable, fruits whatever has been raised in the kitchen garden and elsewhere.
            Women become restless due to the omnipresence of monkey and monkey menace. Pet dog although in the initial days shown their mettle and shown furious made but now becoming accustomed to see the new enemy as their neighboring one become careless to the monkeys in the backyard.
            Dogs now a day never minds to drive the monkeys even after seeing them are walking in the field because thereby monkeys have almost made permanent home to the orchard for last 2-3 years. They of course occasionally visit rubber plantations in search of rubber seeds and come back again to the orchard the only their abode for now.
            I personally could not relish the seasonal fruit like Mango, Jackfruit, Tamarind and Jamun because these fruits could not have time to attain the ripened stage as it is being consumed at immature stage itself by the monkeys.
            Banana, it is wholly destroyed and eaten up; starting from fruit to tender leaves all are eaten up by the moneys.
            Pineapple, it is also same, fruits to leaves; everything is eaten up by these monkeys.
            It is not that our orchard could not sustain the lives of the few monkeys but when teams of monkeys of around 100 to 200 nos. comes then that become impossible for the orchard to sustain them therefore, what happen is monkeys are around the household destroying all in the kitchen garden and become the fierce enemy of the villagers.
            But, sometime, I do feel pity for them, I feel sorry for them because in my childhood days monkeys used to be rare in my locality as they lived in deep jungle but now they are living side by side to the human being.
            This is because, in my area forested areas have decreased to a significant extent that some wild animals like monkeys and other small mammals have been driven out as a consequence some might even become extinct too and other taken refuge in the human locality like these monkeys and squirrel.
            Squirrel has permanently taken refuge in the coconut palm destroying all nuts (matured to immature) of coconut palm. Now, in the village you could see coconut (destroyed one) near the palm of coconut by the menace of squirrel.
            Jungle fowl has also been driven out of the forest consequently taken refuge in the orchard.
            Spotting of jungle fowl was actually fortunate to see due to it’s magnificently look and beauty.
            But, from last year, I was feeling sorry at the family decision of felling of all big fruit and non-fruit trees of the orchard; I was thinking that fruit trees that were planted by my grandfather long ago would be felled down at once then what will remain in our memory that has long been cherished by us.
            Another, thinking was: where will all these monkeys will go in absence of their abode which is forest which for sometime has been acted by our family orchard. Will they die starving because rubber offers no to minimum forage to the monkeys? Will they be able to reach in other parts where there is jungle and forage is available in plenty?
            Those were my thinking! But, it has happened; happened one day, all the big fruit and non-fruit trees had been felled down by the merchant as it was sold to him. It is just to get rid of continuous menace of all these monkeys.
            After cleaning of all big trees when I went to my village, I did not find that nuisance creating monkey. Everything seems to be silent, seeing of magnificent jungle fowls become rare and no monkeys could be spotted in and around the village.
            When I enquired the villagers about the monkey, they replied that after the last abode of monkeys had been felled down they left the area.
            The point that comes to my mind is rubber tree driving the monkeys out of the jungle?

            Your comments please.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Good News for Indian Rubber Growers! Good Rate Is Expected

REUTERS  reports that “India's natural rubber imports in January fell by a fifth to 19,696 tonnes from a year earlier as a hike in the import duty made overseas purchase less lucrative for tyre makers….”
It is further reported that the India the 4th biggest producers of natural runner “India imported 24,505 tonnes during the same period last year….”
And “In December 2013, India raised import duties on natural rubber by 50 percent to curb rising imports that pushed local prices to their lowest in four years.
Reduction in import of natural rubber from the Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia naturally reflect positively in the fluctuating natural rubber market of India


Friday 7 February 2014

Hey! One rubber plant costs only Rs.78.00 for 30 years.

            This may feel and sound surprising and awkward too. Why not? As one productive size or age of rubber tree is costing only Rs.78.00 for long, I say long 30 years of time. The fact of the matter is; one rubber plantation owner or rubber grower as you say has recently leased out his rubber plantation. Not exactly the whole plantation but a portion of his plantation consisting of 150 numbers of productive rubber trees to someone from the same area for Rs.3,50,000?-( INR) only for whole productive period of the plantation that is roughly 30years.
               What happened to him for his abrupt move for leasing out of the part of the rubber plantation is; he has to get his daughter married off so he requires immediate liquid cash which presently he does not have. So what the option he chooses is leasing out of the rubber plantation and getting the negotiated liquid cash to get his daughter's marriage ceremony taken place with glitterati.
               My reaction, although not direct reaction is; may be the plantation owner has actually miscalculated and fallen to the trap of long years of indebtedness to that person who took the lease from him. I was little restless, I don't know why but feeling something like cheated. Of course, my feeling and thinking in that direction may not be right also.
               Therefore, I asked someone very much known to me who is in fact wealthy person having large acreage of rubber plantation under his possession. But what he replied is astonishingly different to my perception. He replied that the rubber plantation owner is in profitable side than the person who took the lease of the plantation even for whole productive years.
               I could not believe his statement due to the following comparison that I tabulated as under:-
Plantation owner who leased his plantation
Person who leased the plantation
Sl.No
Particulars
Rate
total
Particulars
Rate
total
1
Leased amount

350000
a) Average latex yield per tree
50ml

2
Lease time

30 years
b) Per month yield in alternate day
50x15days
750ml
3
Nos. of rubber trees leased

150 nos.
c) Per year yield of each tree
50ml x 15days x 10month
7500ml
4
Earning as per leased amount per rubber tree for 30 years
350000/150
2333
d) 30 years yield of each tree
50ml x 15days x 10month x 30years
225000ml
5
Cost of each rubber tree for 30 years
2333/30
78
e)  30 years yield of each tree in Kg. (latex)
(50ml x 15days x 10month x 30years)/1000
225Kgs
6
Cost of each rubber tree per year
78/12
6.5
f) Yield of each  tree in  Kg (dry)
225Kgs/3.33Kgs
67Kgs
7
Cost of each tree per day
6.5/30
0.22
g) Return of each tree in 30 years
Rs.150 x 67 Kgs
10050
8



h) Return of 150 tree in 30 years
Rs.150 x 67 Kgs x 150 nos. x 30 years
1507500

So, what do you say by seeing the above table? I hope it is absolutely showing that the person who took the lease is in much more profitable side than the plantation owner who may feel happy by getting Rs.350000 at once but over a period of time he is in fact looser, looser by Lakhs of rupees which is certainly a cumulative loss to him.
                  What precisely I want to comment on here is; where have all these banks or bank branches have gone? Could not the grower be saved from such awkward financial situation by these bank branches? Where have all those marketing or field officer of different banks have gone where a hapless man could have been rescued from the prolong indebtedness.
                  This Rs.350000 money if ever availed from any rural or nationalized banks, this could have been repaid by the rubber plantation owner within, I would say within 10 years time which could have been much more better than the leasing of plantation for 30 years period.


Thursday 6 February 2014

Do you know few useful facts of Rubber Seed?

            In the month from August to September, rubber seeds seem to be abundant here and there in the area of rubber plantations this is plainly because Tripura is the second highest in terms area and production of natural rubber in the country. 
            In Tripura, very few, precisely very few people know about the usefulness of rubber seeds that is other than making use of rubber seeds in rubber seedling nursery.
            Let us know few unknown facts about the rubber seeds.
Ø      Commercial exploitation attempt of rubber seed was made by KVIC.
Ø      2(two) major products processed from rubber seeds are  oil & seed cake
Ø      Rubber Seed weight ranges from 3 to 5 gms
Ø      Rubber seed contains 40% kernel, 35% shell & 25% moisture
Ø      Oil content  of rubber seed: 35% to 38%
Ø      Cake recovery of rubber seeds: 57% to 62%
Ø      Seed production season starts from July to September
Ø      Seed collection is mostly unorganized sector
Ø      The reason are Low price of rubber seeds, no proper market avenue for rubber seeds
Ø      Fresh rubber seed contains more moisture so difficult to store without seed deterioration
Ø      Seed should be sun dried or kiln dried to reduce moisture content
Ø      Kernel extracted & properly dried can be stored up to 4 months
Ø      Seed production potential is up to 150 kg/ha of rubber plantation
Ø      Raw material of rubber seed is kernel
Ø      Shell after kernel extraction is good source of fuel
Ø      More than 65% raw material is consumed in the factories of Tamil Nadu
Ø      Oil is extracted through rotary machine
Ø      Molasses of 20-25 kg is used per 100 kg kernel during oil extraction
Ø      Oil is used in soap manufacturing
Ø      Oil is also used in paints manufacturing
Ø      Manufacturing of anti corrosive coating
Ø      Rubber Seed Cake is rich in protein
Ø      Rubber seed cake is mostly used for Cattle & Poultry feed
N:B: For practical reason, expert should be consulted.


High Time For Fire Line And Mulch Making For Young Rubber Plantation

      One of the misery or accident that sometimes haunts the rubber growers is fire and harsh weather condition during particular times of every year. This is especially so in the initial days of rubber cultivation. Of course, danger for natural calamities does remain always or take place or inflict at any age or stage of the rubber plantation.
            During the time starting from mid February onwards day temperature usually starts rising so is drying up of herbs/shrubs/weeds etc in the rubber plantation as well as surrounding the plantation area too. This not only increases the chances of wilting of young rubber seedlings but also increases the danger for accidental fire or wild fire which could devastate the whole rubber plantation itself.
            Increase of day temperature coupled with dry spell that prevail from the mid or end of February to April month bring out lots of hardship to the rubber plantation owner as well as young rubber seedlings. It is frequently reported that young rubber seedling started showing wilting symptom due to hot temperature and increase of soil temperature around the root zone of the rubber seedling.
            It is also unfortunately seen that fire completely engulfed the young rubber plantation which was accidentally started some where but spread to the rubber plantation in absence of control mechanism like fire line etc.
            During this stage, rubber plantation should invites special attention of the rubber growers for managing his / her rubber plantation from the harsh weather as well as fire by making use of simple technique like fire line making at the width of 2(two) meters around the rubber plantation so the fire from the others area does not spread to the plantation and cause damage.
            So far as protecting of the rubber especially young rubber seedling is concerned, ground of the rubber seedling should be mulched with dried grass thereby temperature in and around the root zone of the rubber seedling is minimized and young seedling is protected from the scorching sunlight and heat.
            The process of making fire line is very simple one; a line to the width of 2(two) meter is cleaned without leaving any dry grass in between. The mechanism is just to avoid the fire from the surrounding area spread to the rubber plantation and cause damage to the rubber seedlings. It can be done by employing even unskilled wage earner only the point is fire line to be made around the rubber plantation.
            In case of mulching of young rubber seedlings, here also the process is very simple and can be made at ease by the plantation owner. The process is; dry grass is evenly spread on the ground around the rubber seedling. However, care should be taken that only dry grass is used and care also should be taken that the mulch do not generate heat around the rubber seedling and also does not attract the termite infestation which will cause damage to the rubber seedlings. The idea is to keep the soil temperature around the root zone cool.
            In conclusion what could be said here is that; for managing the rubber plantation especially the young rubber plantation from the dry spell, these simple two steps can minimize the casualty due to harsh weather condition and fire accident.

            N: B: For specific recommendation and implementation purpose, expert may be consulted.