The
country’s rubber production is estimated to reach 52,000 metric tonnes by 2020
and 70,000 metric tonnes by 2030, Mr. Joseph Baidoo-Williams, Head of the
Perennial Crops Development Unit at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture
(MoFA), has disclosed.
This
projection is expected to earn the country nearly US$250million from its export
by 2020, boosting the country's foreign-exchange revenue from the crop.
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 has moved from 12,000 hectares of rubber plantations in 1995 to 35,000 hectares, helping to create employment for some 100,000 people.
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 has 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 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.
Mr. Baidoo-Williams in an interview with the B&FT said: “The rubber sector is doing fairly well due to the ready market for the raw material, coupled with government's support for the farmers.
“Government has identified the rubber sector as holding tremendous potential to create jobs and reduce poverty, and as such is giving it the necessary support to enable it contribute to the development of the economy.
“Recent trends in world prices suggest that rubber production when properly nurtured could easily become a major foreign exchange earner for the country.”
He explained that 7.4 million euro has been disbursed to the National Investment Bank (NIB) to finance the cost of development of out-grower plantations, while 757,400 euro has additionally been disbursed to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to maintain and ensure sustainability of the farms.
“The contribution of rubber cultivation to employment-generation is enormous as it currently provides employment for over 37,083 farmers through its Rubber Out-grower Scheme. It has a potential of employing an additional 2,250 tappers for every 9,000 hectares, of which 25 percent will be females.”
He said 10,500 hectares of rubber trees are envisaged to be planted between 2010 and 2014, and this is expected to employ an additional 2,750 farmers.
About 95 percent of the country’s rubber produce is exported to 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.
Mr. Baidoo-Williams in an interview with the B&FT said: “The rubber sector is doing fairly well due to the ready market for the raw material, coupled with government's support for the farmers.
“Government has identified the rubber sector as holding tremendous potential to create jobs and reduce poverty, and as such is giving it the necessary support to enable it contribute to the development of the economy.
“Recent trends in world prices suggest that rubber production when properly nurtured could easily become a major foreign exchange earner for the country.”
He explained that 7.4 million euro has been disbursed to the National Investment Bank (NIB) to finance the cost of development of out-grower plantations, while 757,400 euro has additionally been disbursed to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to maintain and ensure sustainability of the farms.
“The contribution of rubber cultivation to employment-generation is enormous as it currently provides employment for over 37,083 farmers through its Rubber Out-grower Scheme. It has a potential of employing an additional 2,250 tappers for every 9,000 hectares, of which 25 percent will be females.”
He said 10,500 hectares of rubber trees are envisaged to be planted between 2010 and 2014, and this is expected to employ an additional 2,750 farmers.
“The
rubber industry has minimised the rural urban drift, increased income levels of
farmers and their relatives, regularised the rainfall pattern, and created
employment opportunities.”
Figures
at MoFA indicate that in 2006, rubber exported to France was 13,618.36 tonnes,
rising to 15,318.16 tonnes in 2007. It however fell to 14,132.12 tonnes in 2008
due to the cutting down of the old rubber trees and their replanting by the
Ghana Rubber Estates
Limited (GREL), the main industrial operator in the rubber industry.
Government has been sourcing financing to support the industry. In August 2006 it secured a loan from the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), a French development agency, and Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German development bank.
AFD provided 23 million euros while KfW provided 6 million euros to support the out-grower project in the country. The money isbeing used to finance the third phase of a 7,000-hectare rubber plantation project. It is also being used to offer credit lines to about 1,800 farmers over a five-year period.
The first phase of this project started in 1995 and ended in 1999 after 400 farmers planted rubber trees on more than 1,200 hectares of land. The second phase was for 500 farmers who planted over 2,800 hectares of the crop.
Part of the funds will be used for the construction of 210 kilometres of farm roads and 77 kilometres of feeder roads to improve access to project areas and ensure easy access to production and marketing areas.
Government has been sourcing financing to support the industry. In August 2006 it secured a loan from the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), a French development agency, and Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), a German development bank.
AFD provided 23 million euros while KfW provided 6 million euros to support the out-grower project in the country. The money isbeing used to finance the third phase of a 7,000-hectare rubber plantation project. It is also being used to offer credit lines to about 1,800 farmers over a five-year period.
The first phase of this project started in 1995 and ended in 1999 after 400 farmers planted rubber trees on more than 1,200 hectares of land. The second phase was for 500 farmers who planted over 2,800 hectares of the crop.
Part of the funds will be used for the construction of 210 kilometres of farm roads and 77 kilometres of feeder roads to improve access to project areas and ensure easy access to production and marketing areas.
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