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Productivity is a key issue and there is an urgent need to
bring improvements. The tree has been made far more productive
over the years through increases in its yield of rubber, but
there is a need to reduce the period of immaturity (the time
taken for the tree to become tappable) and to introduce systems
which will enable trees to be tapped less frequently than
at present (smallholders tend to tap their trees every other
day). There is also a need to reduce the amount of labour
involved in the cultivation of rubber: most of the attempts
at mechanization (which date back to Ford and Edison's involvement
in the 1920s) have been unsuccessful.
A tree is ready to be tapped 4-6 years after planting.
Its productivity increases to a maximum when it is about
15 years old, after which it steadily decreases. The tree
should be replaced when it is about 30 years old, and this
provides a useful source of a medium-quality hardwood timber
suitable for furniture etc. Unfortunately, unless there
are realistic prices for natural rubber replanting is deferred
and productivity and incomes fall.
See Also
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