MRB To Determine Percentage Of High-Yielding Clones Via Census

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) - The Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) will conduct a census of this year to gather information on the types of rubber clones planted by small farmers nationwide to determine the percentage of high-yielding clones used by them, said Director-General Datuk Dr Salmiah Ahmad.
The information collected in the census would advise MRB poor settlers to replace the clones with high-yielding strains to help them achieve a better production and increase revenue, said in an interview with Bernama recently.
A study conducted by MRB showed that the average small domestic producers for the production of only 1.43 tons or 1.44 tons per hectare per year, while farms produce about 1.6 tons per hectare because the did not first use of high yielding clones.
"We have produced clones that can increase the production of latex for up to three tonnes or 3,000 kg per hectare," said Dr. Salmiah.
Until late 2009, small farmers in Peninsular Malaysia constitutes the bulk of the land area cultivated in rubber to an estimated 732.280 hectares.
Sabah and Sarawak, together have 228,260 hectares of rubber with the national total area of ​​1,021,000 hectares.
Dr. Salmiah said inspectors MRB clone, along with those of Smalholders Rubber Industry Development Authority and the Federal Land Development Authority, also willing to join hands with care to verify the clones in their buds centers to ensure that only recommended high-yielding clones to be provided to small producers and farms.
MRB recently established the Malaysian rubber cuttings Similajau Centre, Sarawak, to ensure sufficient supply of quality clones of the nurserymen and farmers.
"Small producers have to do in the making, then you get the right clones. We do not want to just pick up small farmers under the tree seeds and plant them. That's not the right way," said Dr. Salmiah.
MRB said also focused on introducing more automation in the rubber industry by 95 percent of rubber plantations owned by small farmers over 55 years of age.
"Hopefully we can come up with something later this year," said Dr. Salmiah.
MRB said had also successfully produced clones of latex wood, a concept of two-in-one where settlers may have latex and timber.
In another vein, MRB said he was willing to help companies interested in investing in rubber plantations through the identification of appropriate areas in Sabah and Sarawak.
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said recently that his ministry was aiming to plant trees of high performance rubber covering 500,000 hectares to 300,000 hectares in Sarawak and Sabah.

(Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=573710)