rubber plantation
OFDC is having its own rubber plantation in Two forest division namely Baripada and Bhubaneswar over an estimated area 64 hectors. Since 2001, the Tapping of rubber has been undertaken through the trained staff of the OFDC limited.
The tapping of rubber plants starts when the plant achieved a growth of 45 cm. Before the tapping starts the desired trees are marked and the tapping device are fixed on the stem of the tree at the height of 1.35 m.
Tapping is generally done in the marking trees because the cambium of the tree remains active to produce the hire yield of rubber latex. The tapping operation completes before 12 o clocks, after word the yield become negligible. The tapped latex are collected through bucket and brought for processing through a skilled labor.
The latex is diluted with the ratio of 1:3 (one liter latex with three liter of water)
After diluting, formic acid chemical will be added in the dilution to remove the dirty forest material through fome and helps in coagulation. They are then shifted to a definite size of tray and allowed to set the rubber nearly for 24 hours.
After 24 hours when the rubber are set their water will be extracted through manual process with the help of two machine. During the process the entire water content of the rubber is removed through certain pressure and rubber becomes available for drying, smoking and to make it ready for sales.
Initially after removing water from freshly set rubber, rubber sheets are dried under the open sunlight for nearly 2 days.
The purpose of the smokes is to attain the desirable color of the rubber suitable for marketing. In this process, dried rubber sheets are hanged in a close chamber in which the induced smokes are allowed to enter to the hanged rubber sheets.This process is allowed for a week and when the rubber sheets attain suitable color then they are removed and stored for marketing.
Rubber processed through the above procedure are marketed under the provision of the Rubber Board of India and the market rate are determined through the prices fixed by Rubber Board on daily basis which is ensured through internet.
