Factors encountered in smallholders participation : an experience in the enhancement of productivity of RRIM 2000 series clones project

The Enhancement of Productivity of RRIM 2000 Series Clones Project commenced in late 2005 with funding from the Government development project. The time period of the project was one year. A total of fifteen (15) project locations were selected from the level II Monitored Development Project (MDP) areas. The implementation of this project was carrried out in the MDP areas basically so that smallholders as a group could be easily identified as required. The objective of this project was to address the low yield obtained by smallholders in the level II MDP areas with minimum monitoring by MRB. The participants of the project were supplied with basic agricultural inputs and also the latex stimulant, MORTEX. They were required to manage and maintain their smallholdings in term of manuring and weeding. The tapping system recommended was 1/2S d/3 + Mortex 2.5%, 9/12. Relevant data such as production, income of the participants, tapping days and probl ems encountered were monitored and collected. Observation and discussions with the participants indicated that in terms of agronomic practices most of the participants did not maintain their holdings properly before the implementation of the project. Manuring was only carried out when they obtained fertilizers from RISDA during the replanting stage. After that, most of the participants did not fertilize their holding. Quite a number of the participants possessed the knowledge that the rubber trees could be opened for tappping when the trees reached a girth of 45 cm. However, a number of them were found to have opened their trees even through the trees had not attained the tappable girth of 45 cm. The standard of tapping of owner operated holdings and holdings tapped by local tappers were good compared to those holdings tapped by foreign workers. Most of the participants of the project accepted and adopted the MORTEX stimulation technology introduced to them. The participants were convinced of the advantages of using the technology especially in terms of increase in rubber yield and low incidence of dry trees. However, in term of frequency of tapping the participants were found to be tapping using the d/2 system and not the recommended system i.e. d/3. In conclusion it can be said that the introduction of RRIM 2000 Series Clones and the use of MORTEX to rectify the problem of low yield has resulted in a less than satisfactory perception among the participants of this project.