GOPDC urges communities to consider rubber cultivation for sustainable income

The Ghana Oil Palm Development Company (GOPDC) has urged communities around its plantation operational areas to consider the cultivation of rubber as a viable venture that could help improve the livelihoods of the village communities and help to stimulate both the economic and social development of the rural areas. 
 

GOPDC which has been active in the country’s commercial cash crop cultivation and production value chain, has currently diversified its operational strategies to include the large scale commercial cultivation and processing of rubber.

“Framers and indigenes residing in Kwaebibirem district and its surrounding communities should consider the cultivation of rubber as a full time viable venture which has enormous income and can improve standard of living of the rural poor. 

“This could help to improve the livelihoods of the village communities and help to stimulate both the economic and social development of the rural areas,” Mr. Gert Vandersmissen, Managing Director of the GOPDC told B&FT in an interview.

He explained that the company is currently building a state-of the art rubber processing factory with capacity to process about 15,000 metric tonnes of dry rubber per annum by 2020 during the first phase of its production with an expectation to increase the capacity to 20,000 metric tonnes by 2025.

The total investment envisaged for this landmark project is estimated to cost over US$ 50 million with US$15million being channelled into the establishment of the factory for the remaining US$ 35million to be directed towards ensuring sustainable supply of seedlings, planting and appropriate out grower scheme.

The entire rubber cultivation programme of Nucleus and out grower scheme will benefit over 20,000 indigenes within the Kwaebibirem district and its surrounding communities within the next four years.

Factory is expected to provide permanent employment to about 650 people in the area, 150 factory staff and 500 agricultural workers.

Mr. Vandersmissen, confirmed that the company’s full entry and participation into the rubber production industry’s downstream sector by 2020 could help harness the country’s considerable potential in the cash crop’s cultivation and increase employment generation for the rural communities as well as provide source of income for the rural dwellers.

As part of the company’s entry strategy, it has commenced its plantation operation with the planting of approximately 1,000 hectares of rubber trees within its existing oil palm plantation.

By 2020, the company hopes to plant over 10,000 hectares of rubber trees with 3,000 from its own land and 7,000 trees from out grower farm scheme in the area. There will be about 3,500 farms for the out grower scheme to aid the supply to feed the factory.

It is currently, investing in pilot farms which would involve the selection of farms, pegging, planting among other, this is being done along educating and assuring farmers of the viability of rubber farming as a full time venture.

“We have started with  our out grower 50 hectares and next year will increase to 150 hectares. The first phase is pilot farms and after we will train farmers how to tap the trees. That is the most essential part of the job. If you do it wrongly you cannot exploit your trees for the next 30 years. We will train about 3500 farmers to become specialized tappers,” Vandersmissen said.

He explained that the first tapping from the commercial rubber plantation is projected for 2020 and that will be when trees have reached maturity with initial estimated output about 15,000 tonnes per year.

As of 2009, approximately 11,855 hectares of land had been cultivated under outgrower schemes financed by the government. The rubber plant has a productive lifespan of 35 years. 

The country moved from 12,000 hectares of rubber plantations in 1995 to 35,000 hectares, helping to create employment for some 100,000 people.

Rubber production increased from 9,300 metric tonnes in 2000 to 19,134 metric tonnes in 2009, recording an increase of 74 percent over the period.

About 95 percent of the country’s rubber produce is exported to China, France, Turkey, East Africa and South Korea. Ghana also exports to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

Currently the traditional rubber-growing regions are the Western and Central Regions, but the northern parts are also being explored for their potential to cultivate the crop.