President Calls for Effort to Raise Smallholder Rubber Plantations

Jambi (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday asked all relevant parties including district heads and governors to make every effort to increase the productivity of smallholder rubber plantations. The President said every hectare of smallholder rubber plantation currently produced 800 kg a year, while every hectare of rubber plantation managed by plantation companies could produce up to 2 tons a year. "Looking ahead, we must think of how to increase the productivity of smallholder rubber plantations from 800 kg/hectare/year to at least 1000 kg/hectare/year or more than 1000 kg/hectare/year," he said. In addition, the President also asked the relevant parties to improve the rubber trade system to enable rubber farmers to enjoy profitable price. Rubber plantations in Jambi province currently cover 600 thousand hectares, accounting for one-fifth of the national rubber plantations reaching 3.4 million hectares. The President asked the Jambi governors and district heads in the province to pay attention to rubber processing industry in the province. A lack of rubber processing plants in the province might harm rubber growers' interests, he said. "The presence of rubber processing plants must be arranged in such way. The province now has 11 rubber processing plants and three more still can be built here. I hope all relevant parties to pay attention to the matter so the rubber industry will run well," he said. The President pledged to raise budget allocations for the development of rubber plantations particularly those in Jambi.