Mindanao

In Mindanao, rubber growers sell their coagulated, tapped rubber to traders, consolidators and local processors, who semi-process them into baled latex, crepe sheets or crumb rubber. The end-users of these semi-processed products include manufacturers of tires, footwear, automotive parts, sporting goods and industrial equipment. The New Panay coope... rative plans to set up a separate marketing and trading arm, Caputolan said. Cooperative members sell the rubber to traders who go directly to their farms. This situation is expected to change once the cooperative raises sufficient capital to invest in rubber trading. "The cooperative expects a return on investment of about 20 percent from trading. Using that income, we plan to help more people develop their farms," said Caputolan. "Rubber farming has opened windows of opportunity. Now, our children have a bright future ahead of them," she concludes.Read More