Promising cultivation of superior rubber

Monday, October 26, 2015

Rubber is the main source of income for the Nias people, including Yafeti Harefa, 48. That is why, whether the rubber is selling for a good or bad price, Yafeti diligently cares his rubber trees.

"On Nias island, 80 per cent of income comes from planting rubber. There is no other choice, they have to do it," says Yafeti in his rubber field in Sisarahili Village, in North Nias.

Yafeti joined a Wahana Visi Indonesia training on how to cultivate superior rubber. After practicing his new skills, he is yielding better results.

"100 superior rubber plants yield 10kg of rubber sap in one tapping." Using traditional methods and trees, he would need to tap 500 local rubber trees.

After his success, Yafeti shares his knowledge with other rubber farmers in his village and together they established a rubber farmer Silai Group that consists of 10 members.

By establishing the farmer group, once a month, all of the group members work together to clean a rubber field. They also collect money to buy fertilizer together.

At the moment, Yafeti can tap 120 kg per month, earning 850,000 rupiahs (USD $65). Five years from now, when he can tap more rubber trees, he might yield 80 kg of rubber sap per day. With that amount of rubber sap, he is optimistic that his family can live a better life.

 

*Written by Bartolomeus Marsudiharjo, Field Communications officer, World Vision Indonesia