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Published: January 7th 2019
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They looked like dirty tee shirts, wiggling on a clothesline. I had to touch one, so I pinched the edge between my fingers. Squishy, like the rubber ball I used as a kid when I played Jacks.
Yep, rubber. Latex that comes from a tree.
Still looked kind of dirty, though.
Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary has not only an astounding number of bird species, it is also where families earn additional income by planting rubber trees and selling the latex sap.
I took a wrong turn on my way to my homestay room, and wound up gazing at the dirty laundry instead, bouncing over a long metal line. Each piece seemed identically rectangular and undulating, with a yellow cast on one side and dirty grey on the other.
It was Sunday and a non-school day, so young Parvathy dashed from her house to say hello, and her father Vijayan stood nearby, watching me finger his rubber. That doesn’t sound very good. But that’s what I was doing, poking at his rubber. On the drying line.
Soon mother Sobhana emerged from her house and greeted me. I tried to speak a little Malayalam, which didn’t work, then
a little Tamil, which didn’t work, and I soon discovered both Parvathy and Sobhana spoke enough English to communicate just fine.
The rubber production fascinated me.
“Is this your only income? Are you a teacher also?”
Sobhana nodded, surprised that I guessed her occupation. Their 200 rubber trees were about six years old. Each was slashed in a specific manner and fitted with a makeshift “diverter” that channels the snowy white latex sap into a cup below. Every morning they pour the latex from the cups into pans, add an equal amount of water and some formic acid, and allow it to rest for the day. By evening the liquid congeals, and each blobby slab of rubber is sent through the press that is hand-cranked by Sobhana.
“Aren’t you tired?” I winced as she cranked while Vijayan sent each piece through the rollers four times.
“No,” she insisted and smiled. I think she had the more strenuous task.
Pressing removes much of the water, but it must dry on the line for 2-3 days before being sent to the smoker to prevent mold growth. The family can then sell at the local market for
100 rupees per piece, equal to about $1.50. I counted about 75 pieces drying on the line. I witnessed the pressing of one day’s harvest, about two dozen pieces. The harvest depends on the latex output of the trees, which varies throughout the year.
Many family rubber plantations are located in the area, some within the boundaries of the sanctuary. Fortunately there is enough diverse forest within the 25 square km sanctuary to support the incredible bird life. Rubber trees demand a lot of water, and planting them can remove the diversity of plants needed for a healthy bird population. In some countries and regions, large rubber plantations have impacted animal life. But the practice has proven profitable for many families who would otherwise have few ways to earn income.
I feel fortunate that I took a wrong turn and met a lovely family who shared with me the operation of their rubber plantation.
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