FG urged to invest in natural rubber in view of abundant gains

The federal government has been asked to invest more in the natural rubber sector to ensure a return to its number one position and abundant gains available from there.

The call was made at the Raw Material Research and Development Council in Abuja when 57 key rubber stakeholders in the private and public sectors converged to unveil a book on Rubber Development in Nigeria.

They observed that the zeal for Rubber production in the country is at its lowest ebb because the venture is perceived as not profitable compared to other cash crops.

The research director and coordinator of the International Rubber Research Board, Dr Timothy Esekhade and the Director General of National Automotive, represented by Nuah Omisanya made the call in their different technical papers presented at the event.

“Government should invest more in terms of sensitization and advocacy to attract more investors into the rubber sector.

“This is because there has been a steady decline in rubber production in Nigeria making the country move from being the highest producer of Rubber in Africa to the second highest producer.”

They lamented that the government has since distanced itself from the sector even to the extent that the state chapters of the recognised Rubber association, NARPPMAN no longer receive support such as lands, seedlings and access to financial aid from the government.

They bemoaned the low sensitization of farmers in the investment opportunities that abound in the Rubber Value Chain.

They maintained that there is a need for more research to enable a reduction in the gestation period of rubber to attract more farmers in the rubber sector.

The stakeholders emphasised the need for repositioning the Rubber industry through the development of a National Policy for Rubber Development in Nigeria.

While calling on the farmers to turn their challenges in the sector into opportunities for the revitalization of the Rubber sector, they said smallholder rubber farmers must aim at comparing notes with other high rubber-producing countries in Africa and around the world to identify gaps and reassert leadership roles in the sector.

They emphasised the importance of granting facilities to rubber investors as a way of stimulating increased production and bolstering the current export price of Nigerian rubber which is lower than that of local prices due to factors that centre on competitiveness.

” This has resulted in local manufacturers sourcing rubber from other countries like Cote D’ Ivoire as local processing factories are operating below optimal capacity.

“There is also a need for the Production of quality seedlings and distribution to Rubber Farmers, and the development of plantations with improved and quality seedlings across rubber production belt.”