As much as 45 per cent of the natural rubber plantations in India is in the low-yielding ‘aged’ category. Of this, one-fourth (11 per cent of the total) is over-aged, said an analysis of Rubber Board data on natural rubber (NR) plantations by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).
ATMA has analysed age profile of NR plantations in India from 2000 for deriving the trends. The study has concluded that the age profile of the rubber trees has taken a turn for the worse over the years and long-term availability of NR for meeting rising demand is a subject of utmost concern. ATMA members are the largest consumers of NR in India accounting for 70 per cent of total consumption.
According to the findings, the percentage of trees in the maximum-yielding stage (in the age group of 11 years to 20 years) has consistently fallen over the last one decade. From 45.5 per cent of the overall NR plantation in 2000, the percentage of trees in the maximum-yielding stage has more than halved to just 19.4 per cent in 2012.
At the same time, the percentage of aged trees (21-30 years old) in the plantations’ spectrum has grown from less than 15 per cent in 2000 to over 33 per cent in 2012. Aged and over-aged (above 30 years) trees have lower yields, both in terms of quantity and quality.
ATMA director general Rajiv Budhraja said the consistent fall in the yield of NR plantations and concomitant rise in low-yielding ones put India at a grave risk of lower NR production in the coming years. At a time when other NR consuming countries have been consolidating their NR supplies by even developing plantations overseas, India is sub-optimally using even its existing NR resources by not resorting to timely re-plantations. A rubber tree has a gestation period of six year to seven years, before it is ready to be tapped. Between seven years and 10 years, a rubber tree is tender-yielding followed by 10 years of maximum yield after which the yield begins to peter out.
“While recent instances of drop in NR production or cut in the projected estimates were attributed to the inclement weather, the fact remains that yields are under pressure in view of the aging of trees in India. Low growth in yields can be gauged from the fact that the NR productivity, long-celebrated as India’s trophy achievement, has plateaued in the last few years,” he added. NR productivity (production per hectare), which stood at 1,903 kg per hectare in 2008, came down to 1,823 kg per hectare in 2012.
It is believed that growers have not been willing to replant due to the the long gestation period and high NR prices, which even at lower yields have been considered remunerative. Accordingly, they continue to tap the aged trees.
According to ATMA, growers need to be encouraged to re-plant with higher re-plantation subsidies. Since NR prices have come off from their peak levels right now, growers will be more receptive towards re-plantation initiatives of the Rubber Board. Any further delay will severely impact long-term interests of both the producing and consuming interests.
“In the next meeting of the National Rubber Policy working group, we plan to raise this issue,” he said.