Rubber is a natural material that has important role in developing industries which use it as raw material nationally or internationally. Contribution of rubber for national and local income from non oil and natural gas sector is hope that in the future will increase since the industry activities arose along with the increasingly people population number and needs, while the synthetic rubber can not always replace the nature and role of natural rubber.
Rubber estates have developed rapidly in Indonesia especially in Sumatra marked by the existence of large estates and followed by the development of local estates. As continuity, the rubber estates are also growing rapidly in Kalimantan spread over in four provinces which included Central Kalimantan province which is dominated by the local rubber estate. Large estates are very limited and only connected with government program like PBSN (Perkebunan Besar Swasta Nasional = National Private Estates Crops) that was given credit facility in era 80’s or in the form of NES (Nucleus Estate and Smallholders).
2. Condition of Rubber Estates
By 2002, the total number of plantation areas in Central Kalimantan is 715,079 hectares, of which 335,490 hectares or about 47% is for rubber plantation area.
From the rubber area there is 328,128 Ha is for local estates (98 %) and 7,362 Ha (2 %) is for large estates. Thus the local estates has important role over the creation of the size area of Central Kalimantan estates and size area of rubber estates as the one of prime products.
Productivity of local rubber estates is still low (500-600 Kg/Ha/year) if compared with the productivity of large estates (1000 to 1500 Kg/Ha/year).
Low productivity of local estates is caused by :
• Rubber plants are not given proper care or fertilized.
• The ability of absorbing technology is very limited.
• Most of rubber trees come from unselected seeds.
• The density of trees per hectare is not in good order.
• Management gives less benefits to the farmers (farmers in weak position).
This reality must be overcome, and one way is by rejuvenating old rubber woods with using prime seeds. Considering limited fund from government to implement the rejuvenating old rubber woods, it is hoped that national private or foreign private can help through the use of damaged/old woods program.
3. The Use of Rubber Woods and Strategic Environment
In Central Kalimantan in 90’s especially in East Kotawaringin sub district there was national private which used old rubber woods from local estates, the company was PT. Kayu Tribuana Rama but it could only operate for 2-3 years caused by lack of raw materials given by the public and fabrics. That company had also inventoried the potential of old rubber woods in Kapuas sub district, South Barito and North Barito.
Main producers of rubber in the world dominated by Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, with contribution 65 % from the world overall production so it gives big influence to the economic matters of the related countries. In July 2002 the three countries held Tripartite Ministerial Meeting to overcome the problem of the decreased rubber price in last three years because of surplus of rubber stocks in international market (reach 800 thousand tons). The three countries agreed to decrease production that would be scheduled in 2002 and 2003 planned to be 155,000 tons and 200.000 tons.
To overcome the problem, one program that was implemented was to limit rubber spreading, while new plantation were conducted to the efforts of rejuvenating old rubber woods or lower produced rubber plants.
Rubber woods can be an alternative raw materials. In that productivity decrease program, Central Kalimantan was one of provinces that become target place of rejuvenating/rehabilitating rubber estates.
II. Rubber Industry Trees
The main product of rubber trees is latex that can be sold by the people in the form of fresh latex, coagulation or smoke sheet/wind sheet. Next, the products are used to be raw materials for crumb rubber that results as raw material for several downstream industries like tire, sport shoes, gloves, etc.
Another result from rubber trees is rubber woods that may come from estates rehabilitation activities or rejuvenation of old rubber woods that don’t produce latex anymore. Commonly, rubber woods that are being sold and bought come from rejuvenation of old rubber woods which are related with new rubber plantations. Rubber woods can be used as building material, firewood, charcoal and lumber for furniture.
The use of rubber woods from the activity of rejuvenating old rubber woods can be applied together along or related with forest tree plantation program like sengon or acacia as pulp material. Plantation area uses estates land which is rejuvenated and or farmer’s lands and also abandoned land around people settlement.
III. BASIS LAW AND OPERATIONAL POLICY
As described that investor that invested money to use rubber woods in Central Kalimantan were just limited in one company and yet doesn’t operate anymore, while other companies still investigate potentiality or field study. This is caused by rubber wood sources only come form local estates which grown in different locations, spread over the both sides of rivers and also it has variety and density per hectare that in general is under standard.
Regulations for utilizing old rubber woods are still on the policy of minister and governor:
- Vice Minister of Solid Plants Production Improvement Letter Number : KB.610/282/MMTK/VII/1987 on July 28, 1987 and Number : KB.610/317/MMTK/IX/1987 on September 12, 1987 about Rubber Woods Usage Maintenance Coordination.
- Estate Crops Director General Letter Number HK.350/E4.18/05/87 on May 12, 1987 and Number : HK. 350/E4.147/08/87 on August 31, 1987.
- In province level, the above regulations are accommodated in the Governor decree Number : 503/355/Disbun on February 19, 1988 about The Procedure of Giving Permission and Using of Local Estates Rubber Woods.
Operational policy that must be done in using the rubber woods as follows:
- Each cutting and using rubber woods must be linked with rejuvenated. Cutting the productive young trees is forbidden.
- The permission of Cutting Local Rubber Estates is given by Governor with the recommendation/technical consideration form Estate Crops Department.
- Planning, Training, Controlling and Supervising is coordinated by local government.
- Every businessperson who would like to use rubber wood must be able to prepare the fund for rejuvenation, training, and buying rubber wood logs owned by the farmers and local people.
IV. Potency of Old/Damaged Rubber Wood
Based on Estates Statistic Data, the size area of rubber wood estates in Central Kalimantan in 2002 was 335,490 hectare with composition of non productive trees are 103,404 hectare, productive trees are 190,404 hectare and old/damaged trees were technically approximated about 41,094 hectare. From the size area of old/damaged trees, the number of stands is technically approximated about 14,793,840 trees. In average is 360 stands/ha (M.J. Rosyid et.al, 2001). Number of rubber wood logs are 8,107,172 m3 (1.818 stands is equivalent with 1 m3 rubber woods). Number of lumbers are 1,787,589 m3 (potential of rubber lumber is about 43.5 m3/hectare (M.J. Rosyid et.al, 2001).
Potential and details of each districts/city are in this following table :
| No | District/City | Old Rubber | Stands | Log Cubic | Lumber |
|
|
| Woods Area | (Trunk) | (M3) | Cubic |
|
|
| (Ha) |
|
| (M3) |
| 1. | Kapuas (including Pulang | 546 | 4.516.560 | 2.484.356 | 545.751 |
|
| Pisau and Gunung Mas |
|
|
|
|
| 2. | South Barito (including | 19.284 | 6.942.240 | 3.818.613 | 884.854 |
|
| East Barito) |
|
|
|
|
| 3. | North Barito (Including | 2.987 | 1.075.320 | 591.458 | 129.934 |
|
| Murung Raya) |
|
|
|
|
| 4. | East Kotawaringin (Inclu- | 3.603 | 1.297.080 | 713.465 | 156.730 |
|
| ding Seruyan and Kota- |
|
|
|
|
|
| waringin) |
|
|
|
|
| 5. | West Kotawaringin | 2.371 | 853.560 | 469.504 | 103.139 |
|
| (including Sukamara and |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lamandau) |
|
|
|
|
| 6. | Palangka Raya | 303 | 109.080 | 29.749 | 17.181 |
|
| Total | 41.094 | 14.793.840 | 8.107.172 | 1.787.589 |
Data in the above table are only approximation type. It is depicted from technical data that processed according to basis data of size area of old rubber woods in Central Kalimantan in year 2002. For the intense of investors, it is advisable for doing field study to get more reliable data, information and material that closer to the real condition. Experiences in field had shown that centre of production of rubber woods owned by the farmers are close to village location. It might be considerable for the investors to use portable equipment sets that can be transported closer to raw material resources whenever needed.
Feasibility study will include the data obtaining for real potency of the replanting rubber trees. There is a possibility to get data from the farmers to an assurance of rejuvenating rubber trees. Often non-technical barriers blocked the rejuvenation program, because most of the farmers depends their lives on rubber estates even though the trees were already old. Implementation of program that covers compensation or income replacement of farmers would overcome the problem of the farmers’ income loose when rejuvenated rubber program is activated.
V. Rubber Rejuvenation Program Relates to Timber Estates
The activity of rejuvenating old rubber trees relates to timber estates with the tree species of sengon and acacia that are usually used for producing pulp, in principle could give benefits to the farmers, bacause it will give new income, optimize the utilization of lands of the farmers and the care to abandon lands around rubber estates or villages.
Implementation both of the programs should have been interactively done with paper factory building that will hold raw material from the farmers, and give attention to the farmers’ economic condition, continuity, and supporting facilities.
In the following table presents approximation of the available old rubber land potential and land for sengon and acacia development.
| No | District/City | Width Area of | Available | Information |
|
|
| Old Rubber | Development |
|
|
|
| Estates (Ha) | Land (Ha) |
|
| 1. | Kapuas | 12.546 | 35.000 | All of Old |
| 2. | South Barito | 19.284 | 40.000 | Rubber plants |
| 3. | North Barito | 2.987 | 40.000 | are assummed |
| 4. | East Kotawaringin | 2.371 | 50.000 | can be rejuvena- |
| 5. | West Kotawaringin | 3.603 | 55.000 | ted. |
| 6. | Palangka Raya | 303 | 0 |
|
|
| Total | 41.094 | 220.000 |
|
Land allocation for developing sengon and acacia is more preferable in the areas of the Production Development Area, Settlement Area and Others. These areas are depicted from Province Spatial Structure Plan 1993 of Central Kalimantan. The following map figurines distribution of local rubbers and development land.
VI. Concluding Remark
