Rubber is one of four major crops in Binh Thuan province. Apart from latex, its timber is valuable for home furniture and household appliances. Rubber development not only helps reduce poverty and boost sustainable incomes for Binh Thuan people, but also improves the environment, covers barren land with green trees to prevent erosion and protect the soil.
Over the past years, the rubber industry of Binh Thuan province has made remarkable development. The rubber acreage in 2011 increased by three times since 2005, reaching 34,938 ha. Latex output was 20,000 tonnes in the year, valued at VND8,000 billion. Rubber has become a strong driving force for local economic development. Tanh Linh district takes the lead with 16,366 ha, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the rubber area, followed by Duc Linh with 11,456 ha and Ham Tan with 4.545 ha. Up to 13,601 ha of rubber trees are planted in large farms, accounting for 38 percent, while 21,337 ha are grown in smallholdings, or 62 percent of the area.
The rubber industry provides jobs for over 70,000 local residents, who mainly live in remote areas and belong to ethnic minority groups. In addition to investing and developing rubber trees, the province has built 13 latex processing plants with a total designed capacity of approximately 30,000 tonnes a year, enough to meet the local latex demand.
Rubber purchasing, processing and selling systems are well-organised. Binh Thuan Rubber Company Limited is the main force in collecting and processing rubber. Its modern Suoi Ke rubber processing plant has an annual output of 8,000 tonnes. Annual latex export volume continually increased from 318 tonnes in 2005 to 2,500 tonnes in 2011. Yearly export value stays at over US$7 million. The sector also pays VND50 billion (US$2.4 million) of taxes to the State Budget a year. Indeed, the sector plays an important role in local socioeconomic development.
Hill-tribe ethnic minority families have escaped from poverty and achieved wealth by planting rubber trees. For example, K’ Thi Yen of Rak Lay people in Dong Giang commune, Ham Thuan Bac district planted rubber trees on 2 ha and made net profit of more than VND40 million per hectare. K’ Van Thinh and K' Van Dop earned VND50 - 70 million on each hectare a year. In Gia Huynh commune, Tanh Linh district, many families like Tran Van Minh, Huynh Thanh Long and Huynh Thi Kim Vui of the Chau Ro people are prospering because of rubber cultivation. Currently, many families earn a good income growing trees in Dong Giang region, Ham Thuan Bac Giang district. In face, rubber trees have already reduced poverty in far-lying areas.
Mr Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Thuan province, said: After many years of development, rubber has become a main crop in the province with improved productivity and centralised production. Its high production value significantly contributes to improving the livelihoods and incomes of the people, thus alleviating poverty in rural areas.
He added that the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress of Binh Thuan province defined local key crops as rubber and dragon fruit. On that basis, the Provincial People’s Committee worked out rubber development planning towards 2015. Particularly, the rubber acreage will be expanded to 45,000 ha, which will produce 48,000 tonnes of latex annually and bring in US$100 million of export value. The province will build up its latex collecting and processing systems to enhance product quality and value, create stable employment for more than 100,000 workers, protect the environment and sustainably use agricultural land.
Thanh Thao
Vietnamese
