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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The rubber [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. Ex A. Juss.) Müll. Arg.] cultivated area in Colombia is currently growing, with an average annual increase of 3928 ha for the period between 2002 and 2008, and a total area of 45,000 ha in 2014 (Castellanos et al., 2009). However, there is still a deficit of 12,000 yearly tons that are needed to supply the 17,000 yearly tons demanded by the domestic industry (Castiblanco, 2014). That is, the country is not self-sufficient, since it imports 70% of its domestic rubber consumption. A similar trend can be observed at the world level, where a rubber deficit of 170,000 to 200,000 tons is projected for the period between 2005 and 2020 (Santacruz, 2008).

The current increase in the domestic and global natural rubber demand makes the cultivation of rubber an important segment of the national cropping activity. The demand comes from the leather, automobile,and chemical industries (67%) and from the manufacture of latex-made products (11%, corresponding to, e.g., surgical, household and industrial gloves); other products such as conveyor belts, hoses, gaskets, footwear, adhesives and others represent 22% (Castellanos et al., 2009; SADRA, 2011).

From a socio-economic standpoint, rubber cultivation constitutes an important cropping activity for Colombia, because it provides an alternative to the traditional mining, agricultural and livestock activities. Furthermore, it represents an alternative in the replacement of illegalcrops, by generating one direct job and three indirect jobs every four ha of the crop (STNCN, 2008; Castellanos et al., 2009; SADRA, 2011).

According to UPRA (2015), Colombia has 18 144 457 ha with adequate conditions for rubber cultivation; but only 18.7% of them, have the best conditions from the physical, socio-ecosystem and socio-economic point of view. The remaining 81.3% are located in areas characterized by low to average aptitude for the crop, with moderate to severe limitations for its development. In the department of Antioquia, the situation is very similar: out of 1 358 079 ha that are suitable for rubber cultivation, 13.6% exhibit optimal conditions; 48.3% present average conditions (predominantly those in the region of Urabá); while those exhibiting low aptitude, which concentrate in the Bajo Cauca

Antioqueño (BCA) region, account for 38.1% of the total area. At the departmental level, the edaphic characterization, will allow to locate the soils with better aptitude for use.

Despite the above restrictions, Santacruz (2008), Castellanos et al. (2009) and SADRA (2011) have found that the growing demand for natural rubber at the local and global levels is attracting not only for private investors (rubber growing IRR is 16 to 18%), but also for the national government, who are determined to strengthen the sector. This situation constitutes an excellent opportunity for Colombia in the sense of becoming self-sufficient in the medium and long term, and even opens the possibility to move from rubber raw material imports to exports.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to overcome existing technological constraints such as poor agricultural management of plantations (particularly regarding nutrition and the handling of biotic and abiotic factors), scarce use of production and post-production technologies and innovations, little information on latex agroindustrial management plans, and limited research at the regional level. Consequently, it is important to strengthen research, technical assistance and technology transfer in order to develop and improve the quality of the material thus produced. Also, it is necessary to optimize the post-production processes and provide farmers with adequate training. The comprehensive articulation of these measures is likely to improve quality, overcome both low yields and national production deficit, and achieve exportable surpluses.