Rubber Journal Asia

Thailand on new rubber planting drive

The government inaugurated the three-year project this year with plans to increase rubber plantations in the Northeast by 500,000 rai, in the North by 150,000 rai, with the remaining 150,000 rai to be spread over the east, central plains and the south.

The government is financing the project by providing technical support, low-priced rubber saplings and fertiliser for the first three years, while planters have to shoulder the cost for the remaining three to four years before the trees are ready for tapping. The project hopes to add 160,000 planters and is expected to contribute more than 220,000 tonnes of natural rubber by 2017, in addition to the 3.11 million tonnes the country harvested last year.