BAR TODAY || Official Quarterly Publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research

Rubber: the oozing tree
by Rita T. dela Cruz with reports from Rubber Developments, International Rubber Research and Development Board and, National Agribusness Corporation

July-September 2001
Volume 3 No. 3

Imagine a tree that oozes with milky, white sap from its incised bark. This is the distinct feature of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), a perennial tree crop and reforestation tree material that grows best in hot places and well-drained soils. The rubber tree is straight and slender, growing from 60 to 70 feet tall with smooth, light-colored bark, and shiny dark leaves. A versatile plantation crop used in the manufacture of about 50,000 items that people are using today, it promotes an environment-friendly farming system, suitable for Philippine soils and climatic conditions especially in Mindanao.

Rubber production
Rubber grows best at tropical places with temperatures ranging from 20-28°C and aw well-distributed annual rainfall. It grows satisfactorily up to 600 meters which is about the size of common plantation crops (and is capable of growing much higher). It grows on almost all types of soil provided that the drainage is adequate. Mature rubber trees are usually 20-30 meters high, with graceful upwards-extending branches and a relatively slim trunk. These trees flower once a year and produce large fruits with thimble-sized seeds.

Depending on conditions, the rubber would usually take 5-10 years to reach 'maturity'. This is also the stage when tappers could start collecting the latex or the milky sap. At least once a year the leaves of the tree die and fall off, and new leaves are formed. During this stage, which often lasts for 16 weeks, the food processing of the tree and the constitution of its sap are substantially affected. The yield is also reduced, and this, together with other climatic factors, accounts for marked seasonal variations in the production of rubber.

When pasty yellow flowers start to fall from the branches, seed packets grow in their place. The pod contains three brownish speckled seeds about an inch long, at the same time, a liquid called latex, flows through the natural sideways tubes under the bark. Latex is the milky, white sap that oozes out after the bark of the rubber tree breaks from the pressure.

Tapping the tappers
Rubber plantations employ tappers who are responsible for collecting the latex from the trees. The tappers cut a narrow grove about four feet from the ground done at a slanted angle. At the bottom of the cut, a U-shaped metal spout that pours into a cup below it is attached. When the cup fills with the latex the tappers collect it.

The tappers then pour the latex from the collecting cup into a tank and add an equal amount of water. The liquid is strained through a sieve to remove the dirt, twigs, and pieces of bark. Formic acid is added to strain the latex to make it form solid particles. Once the solid particles are formed the latex then becomes crude rubber. Crude rubber is sold to companies that make purified rubber then sell it to consumers.

Rubbing the potentials of rubber
Rubber opens a good avenue for the country to maximize its gain in trading arrangements given the universal pricing system and quality testing strategy under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

The production system of rubber is stable. According to the Philippine Rubber Research Center (PhilRubber) based in Kabacan, Cotabato, the yield per tree and the yield per hectare is comparable to Malaysia, which is the leading rubber producer. The current annual production supplies only 40% of the average annual domestic consumption. The volume decreases due to inadequate support for new planting and replanting programs.

According to the 1998 issue of the Food and Agriculture Centennial Book, the Philippine raw rubber exports in 1998 was 58, 317 tons amounting to about US$ 57 million. Seventy percent of the Philippine Natural Rubber (NR) goes to the tire industry while 30% of its production goes to the non-tire sectors, such as: gloves, medical wares, shoes, balls and others. The rubber industry is an export winner and a dollar earner. The present annual consumption is 5.1 million tons, 6.6 million tons in the year 2000, and 9.1 million tons in the year 2010.

The current world production is only 4.7 million tons. According to PhilRubber (2000), the future of NR producers is in a competitive position due to the escalation of oil prices that enhanced the utilization of NR relative to synthetic rubber.

Maximizing the full potential of the rubber industry through a comprehensive and fervent RDE program, the industry sure takes high in grabbing a big share of the world market. Rubber is marketed as cuplumps (the dried latex) and sheets. Marketing is done through local and provincial assemblers, then to processors or traders. Domestic and foreign processors use international quality standards. There has been a slight price increase in the foreign market. Domestic prices have been increasing since early part of 1993 due to a limited supply and increase in demand and uses.

(For more information about the potentials of rubber please contact the Philippine Rubber Research Center or PhilRubber, University of Southern Mindanao, 9407 Kabacan, Cotabato, Philippines or contact telephone numbers (064) 248-2323 or 248-2517 or visit their website at http://www.usm.edu.ph)