Poor strains of rubber trees cause huge losses

HCM CITY — Rubber farmers in several central and southern provinces have been hit by severe losses after buying poor strains of saplings that withered away early, Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Sai Gon Marketing) newspaper reported.

Hoang Duy Que, deputy technical manager of the Viet Nam Rubber Research Institute, said since March there has been a crippling shortage of saplings in the market as many provinces in the central, Central Highlands, and northern regions have begun a programme to plant 1 million ha of rubber by 2015.

At his institute, there is a six-month wait for saplings, he said, adding that as a result, many farmers have resorted to buying from dubious, uncertified sources.

In Binh Thuan Province's Duc Linh District, Nguyen Tran Bay and his wife bought saplings from a trader from Dong Nai Province. But the plants died on three out of their seven ha three months ago.

"We are insolvent and cannot contact the trader," Bay said.

An official at the Duc Linh District Department of Agriculture said some nurseries have been supplying low-quality saplings to take advantage of the skyrocketing prices and dozens of farmers are deep in debt as a result.

In Gia Lai Province, Pham Luc planted four ha of rubber in Mang Yang District in February. He bought the plants from hawkers and 8,000 of them withered away within a short period.

In recent years people in Dak Lak have scrambled to develop small rubber plantations. But there are only three rubber companies in the province: Dak Lak Rubber Company, Krong Buk Rubber Co. Ltd, and Ea H'leo Rubber Company.

They supply high-quality saplings but not in enough quantities for the mushrooming farms.

As a result, the farmers buy from uncertified nurseries and from other provinces.

Under normal conditions, farmers can begin to collect latex seven years after planting.

But for those who bought saplings from dubious sources this year, it will be a bitter harvest. — VNS