How Natural Rubber Farming Works

Site Selection for Rubber Planting :

1. On flat lands – should be well-drained, water table should be deeper than 100 cm.
2. Gently sloping/undulating to rolling terrains
3. Soil pH of 4.5 ~ 6.5 (ideal pH is 5.5)
4. Good soil aeration (30%)
5. Topsoil containing abundant organic matter.

Climatic Requirements:

1. Min temp is 20°C
2. Max temp is 34°C
3. Average temp is 25~28°C
4. 80% atmospheric humidity with moderate wind
5. Rainfall of 2000 mm – evenly distributed throughout
6. Some variety’s can adapt to certain climates.

Planting Distances

Planting distance selection of the rubber tree will usually depend on the type of terrain and if intercropping is to be done.

The typical planting distances for slopping terrain are : 9 x 2.5m (444 trees/ha), 8 x 2.5m(500 trees/ha), 10 x 2m(500 trees/ha). While undulating terrain: 5 x 4m(500 trees/ha), 6 x 3m(555 trees/ha)

Profit

Is rubber production a profitable venture? Well recently it has been profitable again due to the high price of oil but with the slow down in the economy and the sheer drop in oil prices it remains to be seen again. Prices are as low as P19/kg right now. Prior to that the rubber plantation industry suffered so much from the low buying price of latex that some of them had resorted to shifting to higher value crops (ex. banana). The sudden oil price spike was mana from heaven for those who stuck to rubber and replanted their 25 year old trees with new stock (rubber tree production goes down ones the tree reaches 25 years)

The farm owner we interviewed in 2006 had 40 hectares with 27 year old rubber trees. Of which he was harvesting 20 ha/day. He harvested 1154 kg of cup lump per week and 801 gal of crepe. With the price of cup lump at P45/kg and crepe at P92/gal he was grossing about P125,000 per week. Minus the costs of salaries and other farm expenses he was taking home P89,063 per week.

When setting up a rubber plantation however, you have to make sure also that you are close to the buyers of cup lump and crepe otherwise the trucking cost is going to cut in your profitability.

[source: Intl. Rubber Study Group, Philippine Dept of Agriculture]

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