It is said that Jhapa has at least 100,000 rubber plants and its farming is being done on over 200 bigha. Among the four districts where rubber farming is feasible in Nepal, Jhapa is considered highest rubber producer. The other three districts are Morang, Ilam and Chitwan.
Hom Bahadur Thapa of Damak said that rubber farming has a potential to boost economic condition of locals of Jhapa. It will also contribute largely to the global climatic change, he said.
According to the District Forest Office, more than a dozen private companies and community forests are into rubber farming besides individual farmers.
More farmers of Jhapa are taking up rubber farming lured by good return and easy market reach. People into traditional farming are also shifting to this highly lucrative cultivation here, said Samir Man Shrestha, Director of Agro-forestry Promotion.
More land is being used for rubber farming and more farmers are taking up this occupation in Jhapa, he said. Rubber farming has a high income potential in the international market, though there is no big market in Nepal, he added.
Sushanta Dhakal, a local of Jhapa who is into rubber farming, said he took up rubber farming lured by lucrative income. The yield per hectare is 300 kilograms, said Dhakal, who has planted rubber plants on 20 hectares.
Except the Nepali months of Falgun and Chaitra, income from rubber farming is regular throughout the remaining 10 months. Rubber produced in Jhapa is being exported to India.
According to Khagendra Prasad Dhakal, who is also into rubber farming, rubber farming if taken care properly can be harvested after five years and a rubber plant gives up to 600 mm latex. At least Rs. 6,000 can be earned from one rubber alone in a year, said Dhakal.
(Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=27466)
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