Training and Advisory Services

Tapper Training Programme

The primary objective of this training programme is to raise awareness of the farmers in undertaking successful rubber cultivation and continuing to reap a correct harvest over a long period whilst increasing the output at the same time. The tapper training programme is conducted under the general and vocational categories. Under the general category of training, this programme is meant for the smallholders of rubber for reaping the harvest of their cultivation, if any, at the level of the Rubber Development Officer’s region and the participants in the training are given a sort of training on the aspects such as the economic, environmental and social importance of the rubber industry, selection of the tree, identifying the tissues of the rubber tree, introduction to methods of tapping, knowledge on the rubber processing as well as the whetting of the tapping knife, free tapping of the latex, slicing of the grooves, tapping the latex along the grooves, methods of tapping and the fixing up of the rain guards.

During the vocational training, the workers who have had training and experience in the tapping of latex as at present are imparted the skills at professional level. In this exercise, training is provided to plantation companies, middle-class land owners as well as smallholders of rubber having 05 acres or more or the workers associated with latex harvesting. A wide knowledge of the various aspects involving the rubber industry, its economic and environmental importance, the structure of the bark of the rubber tree, latex producing process of a rubber tree, the composition of the latex of rubber, the onset of the tapping of latex, slicing of the tree, positioning of tissues in a rubber tree, tools used for latex tapping and introduction to the technologically upgraded latex tapping knife, establishment of immature rubber cultivation and crop control, use of the fertilizer, identification and control of the contactable diseases and pests, recommended methods of latex tapping, use of the stimulants, use of the catalytic agents, practical training of the latex tapping, botanical traits of the tree and the types of clones, use of the rain guards, intercrops and the bee keeping etc. is provided to the participants.

Bud Grafter Training Programme

The prime objective of this training programme conducted in the plant nurseries is to produce high-quality budded rubber plants. The workers in the government plant nurseries, private plant nursery personnel and those persons applying for the training are facilitated to participate in the training programmes.

 Training programme on how to fix up rain guards

This training programme is in operation with a view to mitigating the impact on the rubber industry due to the adverse factors such as the destruction caused to the rubber trees with the haphazard cladding of rain guards by persons lacking the knowledge and skill required to fix them up, lack of quality standard in the harvest reaped and the wastage caused to the yield.