Cry from the heart
- Crude oil supplies
- Global warming
- Attempting to clarify the picture

The automated tyre industry
- What does the tyre industry need?

Earthquake resistant buildings

Productivity
- Corynespora leaf fall disease
- Cassiicoline
- Visual demonstration of damage
- Personal interaction
- Global warming and carbon sequestration
- Attempting to clarify the picture

Finance
- Location of Secretariat

Papers Presented at the Indonesian Rubber Conference and IRRDB Symposium in Bogor, Indonesia

Cry from the heart

Although this Report has been issued from the Board's new location in Kuala Lumpur, it should be stressed that the Report was written by the previous Secretary General and was intended to reflect events in the year 2000. Nevertheless, sometimes events occur which overtake what had previously been written and through circumstance had not been published. This report had been written prior to the Board's meeting in Montpellier in September 2001, which immediately followed the terrible events of September 11 when the World Trade Center in New York was demolished by terrorist action. Previously the report had been headed by "Through a Glass Darkly", but it was felt that this title (which was already dubious in terms of misinterpretation) was now highly inappropriate.

To the joy of the writer he had been asked to participate in the Montpellier meetings hosted by CIRAD, and he had the great privilege not only of meeting the delegation from Cambodia, but of sharing a hotel with them in the centre of Montpellier. Thus his final contact was with what is hoped will be the newest IRRDB Member Institute. And what was the gist of their final communication with someone who by definition would be unable to assist them except in the most general of ways? "When will the price of natural rubber improve?" "What can we do to increase the price of rubber?" "Increase your productivity", he glibly said. "Explore new markets, such as that of Russia", he proposed with all the arrogance of old age. To a great extent their anguish about prices could have been repeated by coffee or cocoa producers, but natural rubber prices have been largely devoid of the occasional peaks which may give hope to the producers of other commodities.

Many years ago the now retired Secretary was taught at school that it is especially sinful to cheat the poor. The poor had to be respected and assisted. What does the typical driver care about the producer of the rubber used in his tyres as he races along the highway? What does he care for tropical small farmers when he stops for a refreshing drink of coffee, or a chocolate snack to sustain him on his journey? Much was spoken following the outrage in New York about monuments to those who died. Would it not be a suitable memorial to seek justice for those small farmers whose labour produce commodities which are essential stimulants to life in the developed countries?

"Through a glass darkly" is an English metaphor which encapsulates the difficulty of interpreting reflections in an imperfect mirror. The natural rubber industry is forced to perceive the requirements of its major customer, the tyre industry, through such an imperfect medium. This may be partially excused by the necessity for commercial secrecy, and partly by the vast size of the three major players which are capable of controlling financial resources well in excess of those available to the national governments of some of the countries in which IRRDB Member Institutes are situated. Thus, the importance of any pronouncements made by this reclusive industry may be of considerable significance, especially as it is far from clear what the industry really requires from its raw materials, or even if it considers that such materials have a viable long-term future, or whether the industry as such questions its own long-term sustainability.

Therefore, it was, highly significant that speakers from two of the major tyre companies were present at the Indonesian Rubber Conference and IRRDB Meetings in 2000 (it may be added that the third key player was represented in Montpellier). Furthermore, this presence, albeit in a slightly different form, was repeated at the International Rubber Study Group meeting a few weeks later. Before considering the tyre industry's requirements it is appropriate to briefly consider a new study which is attempting to clarify future prospects for the natural rubber industry, the continuing availability of crude oil supplies, and the effect of global warming as these factors may have an even greater impact in the medium to long term. The last is a highly complex issue and will demand further comment as it may form a means for potential benefit.

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Crude oil supplies

In Europe during the autumn of 2000 dissatisfied fanners, fishermen and truck owner-drivers decided to respond to a sudden increase in fuel prices. This small group of malcontents were capable by their ill-considered, and frequently illegal, actions through picketing fuel distribution centres and threatening tanker drivers of interrupting essential supplies of food and medicine. Temporary relief was achieved by politicians making ill-considered promises and some even less considered gestures. Fortunately, the "crisis" was eliminated by the USA which made releases from their national fuel stockpile in an attempt to influence the then forthcoming American election. Like many such gestures the gains were not made where they had been intended, but did ease the European problem.

The underlying cause of this sudden "crisis" was a surge in demand for crude oil. This had mainly stemmed from the needs for heating oil for the impending North American winter and this in turn had triggered a rapid upward response in global oil prices. The whole episode would appear to indicate that the global demand for fuel oil exceeds what the major sources are either willing, or capable, of meeting.
As the great Energy Crises of the 1970s clearly indicated there is a direct relationship between fuel prices and tyre usage.

Beyond a certain pricing level demand for fuel declines and this is eventually reflected in a decline in demand .for tyres. To an extent this effect is exacerbated by changes in the way in which vehicles are used: if fuel is only available in restricted quantities then drivers will proceed more slowly and attempt to conserve fuel by such means as travelling down hill with the foot removed from the accelerator pedal. Thus, ready supplies of fuel are essential to maintain a tyre industry. At some point in the next twenty to forty years new reserves of crude oil will no longer be found and other fuels will have to be exploited, notably hydrogen and electricity, both of which are far less polluting, but which may also demand more controlled driving (and less tyre wear). Before supplies start to diminish there is bound to be a danger of instability in supplies and pressure to change to other fuels. In Britain, for instance, political pressure has already started to restore nuclear power to favour.

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Global warming

Global warming is a less certain factor. Nevertheless, the scientific evidence for the existence of this effect is mounting, and the latest pronouncements from the International Panel for Climate Change now expect an even faster increase in global warming. This has been sufficient to instigate major inter-govemmental conferences (Rio, Kyoto and The Hague), but has failed to produce any firm international response, especially from the major consumer/polluter, the USA whose economic theorists appear to consider that economic growth demands ever increasing fuel inputs.

The response has been much more considered from the developed nations which have most to lose through global warming, notably the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where considerable losses in land area are expected and savings in energy inputs are perceived as being engines for economic vitality. The effects are liable to be especially catastrophic in low-lying poor countries, notably Bangladesh, but also in many poor countries with long coastlines, such as Indonesia. Global warming may eventually curb the tyre industry, and may also represent an opportunity for the rubber industry, and such factors will be examined once the more immediate needs of the tyre industry have been scrutinized.


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Attempting to clarify the picture

It is still far from clear whether global warming, or a shortage of crude oil are immediate problems, or whether the global economy is behaving more or less as it has done in the past. This more immediate assessment has for a long time been the province of Dr Hidde Smit, of the Free University of Amsterdam, who gave his latest predictions at the IRSG Meeting in Antwerp where he was still predicting a future shortage for natural rubber and the prospect of higher prices which would, of course, be very welcome to the producers, but might cause the consumers to consider other options.

Dr Smit has been joined in his attempts to assess the future character of the rubber industry by a very different study being conducted at CIRAD-CP. Before considering this new study it may be helpful to examine the foundations for Dr Hidde Smit's econometric techniques. These still rest upon the concept of an economic cycle, although the USA had attempted to flatten this for two Presidential terms. As well as looking outward to the global economy, Smit examines the global vehicle pare, new vehicle construction and registrations, and historic trends in elastomer production and consumption. Obviously, both natural and synthetic rubber trends are examined. Clearly, Smit's model had suffered from the flattening of the economic cycle.

Dr Jerome St Beuve, Head of CIRAD's Rubber Programme, introduced an alternative predictive strategy: the foresight system. The CIRAD model attempts to isolate and analyse all the factors which may need to be considered in predicting the viability of the natural rubber industry. Thus, on the production side there is a need to examine land tenure and infrastructure as well as the availability of credit, appropriate planting materials and labour. The availability of credit is especially significant as there are few current major replanting or new planting operations.

The demand for timber and reafforestation for carbon sequestration have modified, and may further modify, the nature of "rubber" cultivation. Competition with synthetic rubber may become more severe due to the residual effects of latex protein allergy and the quest by the tyre industry for higher quality raw materials. Competition for labour may come both from within the agricultural sector and from other sectors.

Many different costs have to be isolated. There is remuneration to the farmers;
the cost of primary processing; the costs involved in trading and shipment; as well as the cost of product manufacture which may be influenced by the way in which the rubber has been produced. To be completely effective the scenario approach is dependent upon the receipt of reliable replies from the very great number of stakeholders involved, and one is constantly brought up against the lack of transparency in modem affairs. The allergy problem is one aspect of this: to what extent is it a consequence of the voracious legal industry in the USA? Do the major tyre companies really want quality and consistency, or merely a low cost raw material to meet immediate needs?

One major difficulty would appear to be that two of the major consumers, Europe and North America, appear to be moving apart. This is highly evident in the approach to global warming, where ironically much of the scientific evidence has been established in American centres of excellence, yet there is a lack of willingness for action from American politicians. Similarly, the Study Group meetings contrasted the approaches of Prof Kelley from the University of Akron with his European counterpart. Prof Dr Schuster from the University of Hannover, both of whom were keynote speakers. In this case the contrasts went very deep, but can be illustrated by the latter's continuing interest in the modification of natural rubber with the former's "it can all be done from petrochemicals", and if necessary from coal.

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The automated tyre industry

During the year (2000), one of the smaller tyre manufacturers, Pirelli, invited members of the press to see its latest highly automated tyre manufacturing plant and this led to a relatively extensive account by David Shaw in European Rubber Journal (September). The plant appeared to have developed along similar lines to the one developed by Eric Holroyd, and announced by Dunlop, during its final unsuccessful struggle to remain independent. The essential features of the Pirelli plant are the high degree of automation; the ability to produce short runs; and the relatively low capital cost of such plants in comparison with traditional tyre manufacturing factories.

Shaw quantified some of these benefits, namely: an 80% reduction in manufacturing area; a 23% increase in productivity; an approximately 90% increase in plant flexibility; an 80% increase in labour productivity; a 100% increase in quality; a 33% reduction in energy consumption; and a 25% reduction in cost. Claims are very much in tune with general contemporary manufacturing practice: the minimization of stocks; high flexibility of output; the capability of meeting specific customer needs; and the ability to produce goods within a Just-in-Time framework. Electronic procurement of raw materials is being sought and is already being provided by an increasing number of organizations, including ones which are selling natural rubber, on the Internet.

The implications for the natural rubber industry might appear to indicate the need to be able to supply specially prepared forms of natural rubber, possibly in carbon black/oil masterbatch form, from limited stocks maintained in major consumer centres with rapid transport facilities to the new automated manufacturing facilities.

A fresh dialogue between natural rubber producers/dealers and consumers would appear to be necessary. Unfortunately, little was stated about the effect of this development upon Pirelli's suppliers. Having mentioned Holroyd, it is apposite to note that his development company also made a statement during the year to the effect that it was seeking to develop much more rigid rubber compounds to enable tyres to be manufactured without any form of textile or metal reinforcement. Obviously, such tyres would be vastly simpler to recycle and should be far simpler and cheaper to manufacture.

What does the tyre industry need?

At the Board's own meetings in Bogor, both Dr Richard J Steichen, Vice President, Corporate Research, Goodyear Ltd and Mr Itsuo Miyake, General Manager Tire Material Development, Bridgestone Corporation called for both higher quality natural rubber and for more consistent natural rubber. The former's message was repeated by Dr Jean-Claude Van Craen of the Goodyear European Research Centre in Luxemburg at the IRSG Meetings in Antwerp. The former Secretary observed that he had heard these calls on several previous occasions, and that quality was partially determinate upon the price which consumers are willing to pay.

Presumably, this renewed call for enhanced quality and consistency reflects changes in tyre manufacture and especially in automation. To achieve this the tyre manufacturers will need to liaise with the major natural rubber suppliers to ensure that their requirements are realistic, and that should such rubber be produced, they will be willing and able to pay a premium for it. As the bulk of the natural rubber supplied to the tyre industry is produced by smallholders then newer processing methods may need to be evolved to balance these factors. It is now approaching forty years since the introduction of Standard Malaysian Rubber and the Heveacrumb process. Many in the tyre industry still perceive benefits from the continuing use of sheet, notably its higher molecular weight. This would appear to be an important area for the new Liaison Officer of the Technology and End Uses Specialist Group to explore,

Earthquake resistant buildings

One of the highlights of the Bogor Meetings was a visit to the UNIDO-funded IRRDB demonstration building which is intended to show the benefits of using natural rubber bearings for the base isolation of buildings in seismically-prone areas. Both delegates to the Conference, and most Board Members, visited the earthquake resistant building in Pelabuhan Ratu which is about 80 km from Bogor and is deliberately located in a highly seismic area. The building had recently experienced a relatively severe earthquake (its epicentre was in Southern Sumatra) and had behaved as predicted: that is the bearings saved the building and its contents from the oscillations which would have been experienced in traditional buildings in the surrounding area.

The building had been constructed to demonstrate the feasibility of employing natural rubber bearings in relatively low cost buildings. The same UNIDO programme had seen a similar demonstration building constructed in the People's Republic of China, and the retrofitting of an existing building in Azerbaijan. The intension of the programme had been not only to promulgate a technique which should be capable of saving lives and reducing suffering imposed by one of the most devastating of all natural phenomena, but as a means of increasing the market for natural rubber, and thereby increasing its price and ultimately the income of the poor smallholders who produce it.

In spite of the obvious benefits of the technique, there continue to be reports not only of the terrible devastation which earthquakes can inflict in ali areas of the world, and the failure by the emergency services to react quickly enough to save life, as they themselves arc devastated. The construction of key buildings for emergency services with natural rubber bearings in all seismically prone areas of the world would cost a paltry amount and should cost less than the crude palliative measures which feature in most reports. The key feature of such buildings is that not only are the buildings, themselves, invulnerable, but that the key contents for communication and succour can continue to function. So often it is the damage-induced isolation, even in highly populated countries, which delays rescue and exacerbates loss of life.

Productivity

Low productivity on the supply side continues to be the greatest threat to the natural rubber industry, and it is difficult not to postulate some form of mechanization to overcome this. Such a device needs to be simple and robust. As the value of the latex per tapping is unable to support the cost of a device attached to individual trees then the device must be mobile and conveyable by a simple system such as a cable. The same ropeway could be used to collect the tapping cups- Whereas it is difficult to attract labour into unskilled agricultural work it is possible to persuade people to perform skilled work. Thus the maintenance of such a system would not cause difficulties. Many other crops used to be harvested like rubber, but most have now been mechanized, and if they had not other crops would have displaced them. It would seem that the natural rubber industry must face the problems of mechanizing its harvesting processes. In the meantime effort has concentrated on those factors, such as disease, which impede productivity.

Corynespora leaf fall disease

Corynespora leaf fall disease (CLFD) represents a significant threat to the natural rubber industry, especially as outbreaks have been discovered in clones which had been deemed to be resistant. The Board made this assessment at its meeting on Hainan Island in the People's Republic of China in 1999, although individual Board Members had been aware of the seriousness of the threat for some considerable time. Like South American leaf blight, the disease is caused, by a fungus (Corynespora cassiicola) which leads to premature leaf fall. In serious cases this is capable of killing the trees, but in most cases it leads to a serious loss in rubber production - typically of between 20 and 25%. The disease had caused serious disruption in Sri Lanka when it was discovered that the potentially high yielding clone, RRIC 103, was especially susceptible to damage by the pathogen, and a policy of replanting with other material had to be adopted.

By the mid-1990s the disease had become so serious in parts of Indonesia that an international conference was organized by the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute in Medan with some financial assistance coming from the IRRDB. This conference was able to demonstrate the seriousness of the disease and was a contributory factor in enabling funding to be approved by the Common Fund for Commodities through the International Natural Rubber Organization prior to its demise. This finance was dependent upon obtaining a source of co-finance, which has not been found: the problem of establishing sources of finance will be discussed further subsequently. The aim of the programme was to develop an appropriate form of Integrated Pest Management to control the disease.

In the interim the Board feared that failures in recognizing the disease might lead to its rapid spread. To an extent these fears were heightened when it was learned that an outbreak had been detected in an Indian seedling nursery in the extremely productive RRII 105 clone: the clone which forms the basis for the highly productive smallholder industry in Kerala. Therefore, in 2000 it was agreed to fund and organize a Workshop to enhance the ability of appropriate scientists within IRRDB Member Institutes to recognize the symptoms and to take appropriate measures to stem outbreaks. The problem was considered to be sufficiently serious to justify an invitation to staff from non-member institutes to participate, but this failed to achieve any response.

In early June, representatives from thirteen of the fifteen IRRDB Member Institutes participated in a Workshop to tackle the problems of identifying and combatting Corynespora leaf fall disease. The Workshop took place at the Malaysian Rubber Board's RRIM Research Station at Sungai Buloh, near Kuala Lumpur, and at the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute's research station at Sungei Putih, near Medan in Sumatra. There were also visits to the United Malacca Plantations in Malaysia and to a Goodyear Estate in Sumatra.

There were two sessions for the presentation of papers - one at each venue. Reports from each of the twelve countries represented showed that in all but two (China and Mexico) Corynespora leaf fall disease is present to a varying extent. The worst affected areas appear to be Sri Lanka, Southern Malaysia (Johore) and many parts of Indonesia. It is present in most African rubber producing countries.

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Cassiicoline

Dr F. Breton, of CIRAD-AMIS CP had been able to isolate a toxin (cassiicoline) produced by the fungus and which spreads through the leaf to kill it. The field visit to the Malaysian plantation was especially exciting for this young scientist as he was able to show the effects of the toxin in leaves gathered from the floor of the estate; furthermore, this was his first sight of rubber trees in the field after five years of study! Mr Shamsuri Mohd Hidir and his co-workers at the Malaysian Rubber Board were able to show that there may be an additional risk from a second strain of the fungus. Unfortunately, the pathogen has the ability to mutate rapidly and can adapt to new hosts. In addition to the plant pathologists, several plant breeders were present: they considered breeding strategies which should increase tolerance'to the disease.

One session was devoted to the study of the pathogen in the laboratory and the host (RRIM) had carefully selected isolates of the fungus grown on a variety of media. Delegates who were unaware of the means used to prepare such isolates were shown how to achieve these cultures and how to assess the degree of resistance in the laboratory.

The visit to the estate in Johore had something of the air of a Corynespora theme park - the RRIM had conducted field experiments at this location for several years. These experiments had included an assessment of how the fungal spores are transmitted and attempts to quantify the extent of leaf damage. To the delight of the participants a great variety of infected leaves was present which included some showing railway track symptoms. On the final day in Malaysia, spraying equipment was demonstrated. One of the problems of combatting the disease is that aerial spraying normally cannot be justified because of the current low prices for rubber. Tractor-based spraying has to ensure that an adequate amount of the fungicide reaches the higher parts of the canopy. Most of the more senior delegates considered that improvements to spraying equipment and possibly fungicides are still required.

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Visual demonstration of damage

The visit to the excellently managed Goodyear Estate clearly illustrated the economic consequences of the disease. The IAN 873 clone is particularly susceptible to CLFD at this location despite the excellence of the soil and suffers 20-25% leaf loss. This was clearly evident from the contrast with the rich canopies of adjacent trees in non-susceptible clones.

The event fused international experts of many years standing with relative novices: the former included Dr Ismail Hashim from Malaysia, Dr Jayasinghe from Sri Lanka and Dr Simon Gobina from the Cameroon. One of the most crucial decisions reached during the meetings was to establish protocols for describing the severity of outbreaks and the veracity of the pathogen. These protocols are based on two colour illustrations and were included in the last Annual Report and are available on an extended IRRDB website. It was agreed that a bibliography on the disease should be established: this will grow on the website.

This activity was in addition to a Project which had been agreed for funding by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) which awaited a source of co-finance to begin its work at the Indonesian Rubber Research Institute on Integrated Pest Management to control the disease. Like all IRRDB research activities this would also involve several other Member Institutes including those in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and probably as a result of the Workshop with input from most of the participants. The senior pathologists considered that a more thorough examination of plantings in China and Mexico might show a (limited) presence of the disease.

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Personal interaction

Science thrives on personal interaction and it is hoped that the considerable expenditure (both in terms of direct costs and time) will lead to a greater awareness of the danger of the spread of the disease, and the still somewhat restricted measures available to combat it (although helicopters have been used in India). Several delegates considered that it might be appropriate to hold a similar workshop to consider South American leaf blight which is caused by the fungus Microcyclus ulei and which devastated all attempts to cultivate Hevea on estates in its native habitat alongside the Amazon. As this pathogen could eliminate the entire natural rubber industry if accidentally introduced into Africa or Asia there is clearly a need for pathologists to be keenly alert to its symptoms. A working lifetime ago the IRRDB trained such people: Dr Ismail is one of them. It may be appropriate to seek an external sponsor for such an event. For the present much has been achieved in developing skills for the rapid detection of CLFD.

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Global warming and carbon sequestration

Global warming has been mentioned as a threat: it may also provide an opportunity. Hevea brasiliensis is an excellent engine for sequestering carbon dioxide, and it has even been suggested that a growth in global carbon dioxide levels may stimulate greater output from the tree, both in the form of rubber and of timber. Thus, Hevea cultivation may afford one means of reducing carbon dioxide concentrations, although it must be emphasised that curbing emissions may be far more important. Nevertheless, all effort counts, and this is especially so when Hevea is grown to restore degraded lands. The benefits from such programmes include higher, and more regular, incomes for those who have the misfortune to live on such lands, greater social cohesion and access to services, such as education and welfare, plus an increase in carbon uptake, and the restoration of the land without the need for heavy inputs of oil-based materials. Unfortunately, such virtuous programmes require funding and unless the full Kyoto Agreement is implemented such funds are unlikely to be obtainable.

Finance

Within a relatively short time the IRRDB Research & Development Fund will dry up. No contributions have been made to it for several years, yet the Board has still been able to fund major events, such as the Corynespora Workshop last year. Many of the Member Institutes have had to bear successive reductions in their own research budgets and this makes it difficult for them to maintain their Membership Contributions. For several years it has been necessary to report the apparent mendacity of the major funding Institutions who have had to respond on calls from the starving, the plagued, and the war-torn. The tyre industry appears to be only interested in making cheap tyres from cheap raw materials made with the connivance of cheap, if reluctant, labour. One of the major natural rubber consumers, the USA, does not even input into one of the major sources of funding namely the Common Fund for Commodities. This same avaricious nation appears to be more concerned with making fast bucks out of the largely self-induced latex protein allergy issue than in enabling a self-sustaining industry to survive. On a global level the US is uninterested in the fate of those nations which are likely to be flooded out of existence provided that as to paraphrase their new President: "they are able to drive to work" - presumably on tyres bought at any cost.

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Location of Secretariat

The IRRDB grew out of a colonial environment which was primarily concerned with estate incomes, the control of output (especially by "unregulated producers", notably smallholders), and measures (such as the development of new uses for natural rubber) which might increase incomes. The main activity was co-ordination of effort between the bodies responsible for rubber cultivation in the French, Dutch and British colonies. Thus it is not surprising that the location for the Secretariat was the City of London. Following the Second World War there was rapid change and by about 1961 the IRRDB had come to resemble what is has become today: a truly international organization concerned with the research requirements of the natural rubber producers, most of whom are located in South East Asia. Thus the venue for the Secretariat, although situated within a Malaysian organization, the Tun Abdul Razak Laboratory, had become increasingly anomalous.

About two years ago the Board unanimously decided to change the Secretariat venue to Kuala Lumpur when the then Secretary was due to retire. This move has now taken place and should greatly assist future liaison as more frequent local meetings should be capable of being organized. The move should also assist in the establishment of Regional Fora for GFAR, and may, it is hoped, make finding new sources of funding more successful.

Summary of the Accounts for 2000

Copies of the audited Accounts may be obtained upon application to the Secretary.

 

Secretariat Fund	2000		1999
	£	£	£	£
Income	66 392		63 216
Less Expenditur	57 971		57 041
Deficit/Surplus for year	8 358		6 175
Balance on 1 January200	59 271		55 428
Balance on 31 December 2000	67 629		59 271
Research and Development Fun
Income	12 268		10 612
Less Expenditure	23 531		22 188
Deficit/Surplus for year	( 11 263 )		( 11 576 )
Balance on 1 January2000	214 705			226 946
Balance on 31 December 2000	203 442			214 705
Germplasm Fund
Income	85		120
Less Expenditure	17		27
Deficit/Surplus for year	68		93
Balance on 1 January2000	6 952		7 427
Balance on 31 December 2000	7 020		6 952
Total Assets Less Total Liabilities	£ 271 529		£ 280 928

There are no recognized gains and losses other than the surpluses and deficits for the year. All amounts relate to continuing activities.

Papers Presented at the Indonesian Rubber Conference and IRRDB Symposium in Bogor, Indonesia (authors and titles)

The papers are published as a Proceedings by the Rubber Research Institute of Indonesia, but the authors and titles are listed to show the range of material presented.

Agus Pakpahan: Rubber Plantation Development Policy in Indonesia.

Budiman, A.F.S.: Prospects of the World Rubber Industry in the New Decade.

Sunthom Nikomrat: The Development of Smallholder Rubber in Thailand.

Itsuo Miyake: Recent Advances in Tire Technology and Its Impact on Natural Rubber Marketing.

Jones, Kevin P.: Will Global Warming or a Lack of Crude Oil be the Limiting Factor for the Rubber Industry over the Next Twenty Five to Fifty Years?

Ong Eng Long: Rubber Industry Development and Domestic Use of Natural Rubber in Malaysia.

Steichen, Richard J.: Impact of Future Tire Trends on Natural Rubber.

Sivakumaran, S., Yew Foong Kheong, Johari Hasan and Wan Abdul Rahaman:
Carbon Sequestration in Rubber: Implications and Economic Models to Fund Continued Cultivation.

Nurhawaty Siagian, Irwan Suhendry and Karyudi: Technical and Financial Assessment of Planting Systems Producing Latex-Timber.

Boutin, D., Penot, E. and Ilahang: Rubber Agroforestry Systems - Type 3 (RAS3): a Strategy to Convert Imperata Grasslands.

Karyudi, Irwan Suhendry and Asril Darussamin: The Possibility of Natural Rubber Development Towards Dry Climate Regions in Indonesia.

Jacob, James: Environmental and Social Significance of NR Cultivation in Marginal Lands.

Azwar, R., Aidi-Daslin, Woelan, S. and Suhendry, I.: Quantifying Genetical and Environmental Factors in Determining Productivity of Rubber Plantation.

Aidi-Daslin, Irwan Suhendry and Rasidin Azwar: Characteristic of Growth and Yield of Recommended Clones.

Sumarmadji, Siswanto and Sudirman Yahya: Parameters of Latex Physiology to Optimize the Production of Rubber Plants (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

Nurita Toruan-Mathius, Island Boerhendhy, Moedji-Akbar and Kuswanhadi:
Rootstock-Scion Interaction Induced the Alteration of Protein Banding Patterns of Scion, and its Correlation with Genetic Similarities in Hevea brasiliensis (Muell Arg.).

Ruhiyana, A., Vincent, G. and Supriyanto: Adaptation of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) Seedlings to Different Light Levels.

Nurhaimi-Haris, Asmini Budiani and Happy Widiastuti: Genetic Diversity of Phyllosphere Bacteria From Rubber Plant Based on PCR-RFLP of 165-rRNA Gene.

Suwarto, Soekirman Pawirosoemardjo, Asril Darussamin and Meity S. Singa:
Assays Isolates of Corynespora Cassiicola (Berk. & Curt.) Wei Originated From Rubber Clones Having Differential Resistance and From Papaw Host.

Aron Situmorang, Soekirman Pawirosoemardjo and Meity Suradji Sinaga: The Development and Virulence of Races of Corynespora casiicola on the Rubber Plant.

Darmono, T.W.: Challenging Problem and Prospective Use of Biofungicide in the Control of White Root Disease in Hevea brasiliensis.

Cicilia Nancy and Muhammad Supriadi: Social-economic Status and Availability of Tappers in Rubber Estates (a Case Study in Southern Sumatra and West Java).

Gede Wibawa: Rubber Based Agro Forestry Research in Indonesia.

Xue Xinghua, Fu Xin and Gao Renfu: The Preparation of Saturated NR in Latex Form.

Yoharmus Syamsu, Dadang Suparto and Asril Darussamin: Preparation of Special Rubber Material for Tire.

Tri Pandji: Production of Valuable Chemicals From Spirulina Piatensis Biomass Grown on Media Containing Latex Concentrate Effluent.

Dadi R. Maspanger: Study of Liquid Waste Processing Using a Sequencing Batch Reactor at a Model Scale.

Peram Prasada Rao, Santivipa Phanichkul, Samom Muttamara, Supat Wangwongwattana and Suchat Taechanaruk: Environmental Management in Concentrated Latex Factory: a Case Study in Southern Thailand.

Nelly Rachman, Apriyanti Isanasari, Masatoshi Iguchi: Structure and Properties of Oriented Rubber.
Sudradjat Iskandar, Dian Iramani and Isni Marliyanti: Effect of Gamma Rays Radiation on the Physical Properties ofNR-LLDPE Blends.

Varapom Kajomchaiyakul and Ekon Kavachakul: Optimal Conditions on Chlorination ofNR Latex Gloves.

Nelly Rahman, Suharto Honggokusumo and Dadang Suparto: Viscosity Stabilization of Crepe with Hydrazide Derivatives.

Ridha Arizal: Preparation ofUninflated Bicycle Tires.

Fu Guohua and Chen Qiubo: Research on Production Cost and Competition Force ofNR in China.

Jiang Jusheng and Zhou Zhongyu: Prediction on Production, Consumption and Trade of Chinese Natural Rubber in Early 21st Century.

Supriadi, M. and Nancy, C.: Accelerating Rubber Technology Adoption in Indonesian Rubber Smallholdings.

Uhendi Haris: Effect of Transaction Costs on Raw Rubber Marketing Institutional Choice of Rubber Smallholders.

Siswanto, Suharyanto, Santoso, D. and Darussamin, A.: Research Progress on Allergenic Proteins ofH. brasiliensis Latex in Indonesia.

Asril Darussamin and Azwin Anas: Drying Rubber at Low Humidity and Temperature.

Dadi R. Maspanger and Slamet Suprapto: Implementation of Raw Coal as Alternative Fuel for Crumb Rubber Drying.

Ridha Arizal: The Use of Split-Feeding Mixing to Reduce Heat Built-up of Truck Tires Without Changing the Formula of Rubber Ingredients.

Tillekeratne, L.M.K. and Nugawela, A.: Rain Guards for the Rubber Plantation.

Sekar Woelan, Rasidin Azwar, Irwan Suhendry, Aidi-Daslin and Mudji Lasminingsih: Agronomic Characteristics ofIRR Series Clones.

Ary Achyar Alfa, Syamsu, Y. and Honggokusumo, S.: Characteristics of NR Vulcanizates Containing Fatty Acid.

Alcala, Eugene A.: Development of Sustainable Rubber-Based Farming System for Smallholders in the Philippines.

Penot, Eric, Ruf, Francois, Courbet, Phillipe and Chambon, Benedicte: Does Rubber Trigger Reforestation After Deforestation?

Rodrigo, V.H.L., Stirling, C.M., Silva, T.U.K. and Pathirana, P.D.: High Density Intercropping with Banana Reduces the Length of the Immature Period of Rubber and Increases Latex Yield.

Goenadi, D.H., Gunawan, Ananta, A. and Adiwiganda, Y.T.: Improved Fertilizer Use Efficiency on Rubber Tree by a New Constructed Biofertilizer Application.

Anang Gunawan, Sinung Hendratno, Didin Suwardin, Muji Lasminingsih and Island Boerhendhy:

Improvement of Production, Processing and Marketing Systems of Rubber Smallholdings through Implementation of Recommended Technology and Improved Institutional Mechanism in South Sumatra.

Gregoire Vincent, Gede Wibawa and Gerhard Manurung: Inter-tree Rubber Yield and Growth Variability: a Comparison of Plantations and Agroforests in Sumatra, Indonesia.

Azwin Anas: Latex Quality and Rubber Properties of New Promising Clones.

Bastiah Ahmad: Physiology and Morphological Characteristics of Hevea Rootstocks in Response to Water Stress.

Agus Mudji Santosa: Preliminary Study on Creaming of Field Latex by Using of Glukamannan Fl.

Sinurat, M., Agus Alam, Handoko, B., Arizal, R. and Honggokusumo, S.:
Processing of Rubberized Coir in Farm Enterprise Scale.

Irwan Suhendry, Sekar Woelan and Aidi-Daslin: Rubber Clones as Timber-latex Yielder.

Rosjid, M.J. and Hem Suryaningtyas: Rubber Plantation in South Sumatera Tidal Swampy Area.

Yin Song, Leconte, A. and Eschbach, J.M.: Smallholder Rubber Research Programme in Cambodia: General Presentation and Preliminary Results.

Rossi Setiadji, Yullie Harijono, Liliek Saputro, Hem Supriatna and Slamet Mujiarto:
Specta: A Promising Coagulant for Natural Rubber Processing.

Arief Priyambodo: Suitable Plan of Actions to Solve the Problem in Developing Rubber Industries in Indonesia.

Didin Suwardin: The Establishment of Indonesian Cmmb Rubber Industry in 30 Years: a Techno-economy Analysis.

Agus Mudji Santosa, Ary Achyar Alfa, Silam and Chilwand Panji: The Extraction of Rubber Seed Oil by Expeller and the Characteristic of Oil Quality.

Stephane Boulakia, Le Gia Trung Phuc, Tran Thi Thuy Boa and Enjalric, Frank:
The Research Approaches on Smallholder Rubber Development Project in Central Highlands of Vietnam According to the First Rural Statement.

Arief Budiman: The TPD's Control with CPO Based Fungicide.

Suharyanto and Darussamin, A.: Use of Isolate Bacteria SP1 in Continuous Anaerobic Degradation of Latex Serum Effluent.

Jones, Kevin P.: Where is Rubber Cultivated?

Suharyanto and Darussamin, A.: Use of Isolate Bacteria SP1 in Continuous Anaerobic Degradation of Latex Serum Effluent.

Jones, Kevin P.: Where is Rubber Cultivated?