The Union of Myanmar has been successful in agriculture. So, the government is carrying out agricultural tasks with the aims to be surplus in food, sufficient in oil and to produce more pulses and beans and industrial raw crops for export.

In doing so, the growing of perennial plants such as rubber, oil palms and cashew by the Myanma Perennial Crops Enterprise, plays a pivotal role.

Among these perennial crops, rubber which is metaphorically known as “white gold” has been planted all over Myanmar by laying down systematic plans. Nowadays, sown acreages of rubber have been extending yearly.

Moreover, plans are being undertaken to grow rubber in Kachin State by reclaiming vacant and virgin lands. In accordance with the guidance of the Head of State, over 100,000 acres of rubber have been grown systematically in the respective regiments and units under the Northern Command Headquarters.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation is laying down plans to enhance participation of private sector in line with market-oriented economic system including State-owned farms in growing rubber for the development of the agricultural sector of the State. Furthermore, people who want to invest in agricultural economy will get job opportunities by growing rubber on virgin and fallow land.

U Chit Shwe
Manager
Owner of Aung Myay Rubber Farm,
Shadaung Village, Myitkyina

In December 1994, we established this farm by reclaiming forests. In July 1995, we started growing rubber. Up to now, 585 acres of rubber have been grown successfully. In 2003, we started to scrape latex from 70 acres of rubber. In 2005, latex has been produced from 70 acres of rubber. The yield of rubber is 700 pounds per acre. We have produced over 50,000 pounds of smoked rubber in 2005. The aim of growing rubber is to get industrial raw materials for the nation.

It is very important to grow high yield rubber strains. Only then, can we plant pure and high yield rubber strains, which we will get thriving rubber saplings. So, we will enjoy the fruitful results in the long term. The rubber seedlings can be nurtured by seeding and budding methods. The budding method or the clone method is more effective than the seeding method. By growing in the clone method, the rate of rubber yield is stable and proportionate. Commercially, the budding method is more economical than others.

All the parts of the rubber tree are useful. We can scrape latex from a rubber plant after growing it for 5 or 7 years. We get the highest yield of rubber resin when the plant reaches at the age of 15 years. We can produce latex from the rubber tree by scraping its bark layer by layer, systematically. Various kinds of household utensils, materials used for industry and many kinds of tyres can be manufactured from rubber resin.

That’s why; we can enjoy the good benefits for our posterity by growing rubber, perennial plants. Moreover, the growing of rubber will assist to increase family earnings as well as good economic profits. Not only the State but also rubber growers will gain a large amount of foreign exchange from rubber or the white gold.