Jat/Clones, Cultural Practices and Processing
Introduction
Rubber is one of the most important cash crops, with multipurpose uses. It is produced from the latex of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. De Juss.) Muell. Arg.), an exotic deciduous rain forest tree species of Family Euphorbiaceae. The British planters first introduced it in Bangladesh in the early twentieth century. But commercial plantation was started in 1961 by the government in Chittagong and Sylhet hilly regions. Later on, plantations were expanded in Chittagong Hill Tracts and Madhupur by the government and public enterprises. The British and some other private companies also planted rubber in the fellow lands of tea estates. At present about 25,000 hectare of land is under rubber plantation in Bangladesh, and annual production is about 7,500 tons against 20,000 tons country’s total demand of natural rubber (NR). Although production of NR is far less than the demand still the price is very low, even less than the cost of production, due to competitive low price of NR and synthetic rubber (SR), a bi-product of crude oil, in the international market.