Lacking raw materials, rubber processing factories in Nghe An operate at a standstill.

After the recent storms and floods, many rubber growing areas in Nghe An have suffered heavy losses. Many rubber plantations have collapsed, seriously affecting the source of raw materials for latex processing. Rubber processing factories in the province are facing a serious shortage of raw materials.

Many rubber plantations in Tay Hieu ward have collapsed and cannot be liquidated yet. Photo: Van Truong

Lack of raw materials for rubber processing

In Tan Phu commune, Mr. Nguyen Huu Hai - a resident of Tan Yen hamlet - sadly said that his family had 5 hectares of rubber trees that were in a stable exploitation period, bringing in about 250 million VND each year. However, just after the recent storm, the entire area was broken and the latex was damaged before it could be harvested. Mr. Hai said bitterly: "The rubber trees have all fallen, now the only way is to liquidate them and replant from the beginning. Each new hectare costs at least 30 million VND, not to mention the care and it will take 5-6 years to have income again. My family almost lost everything."

Mr. Vo Hong Diem - Director of Song Con Agriculture Joint Stock Company, said that the company has 660 hectares of rubber, of which 570 hectares have been damaged by recent storms. Previously, the company processed 3.5 tons of dry latex per day, but now it takes 10 days to process 1 ton. Due to lack of raw materials, this year's revenue is expected to reach only about 2 billion VND, while in previous years it reached 15 billion VND.

According to Mr. Diem, to maintain operations, the company has to purchase raw materials from other localities at high costs, but still cannot meet the processing capacity. Replanting also faces many difficulties when the purchase price of fallen trees is too low, the cost of replanting is high and the labor source is lacking.

At Tay Hieu 1 Farm, Tay Hieu Ward, Ms. Tran Thi Lan, a contract worker, said that her family had 5 hectares of rubber trees, all of which were broken after the storm. “Previously, I collected 20-22 million VND per month from latex. Now that all the trees have fallen, I have lost my source of income. It will take another 5-6 years to replant them, so I don’t know how to make a living,” Ms. Lan said worriedly.

Coffee - rubber processing factory (Nghe An Coffee - Rubber One Member Co., Ltd.) is operating at a standstill due to lack of raw materials. Photo: Van Truong

In the same difficult situation, Nghe An Coffee - Rubber Company Limited also suffered heavy losses. According to the company's report, the company currently has 449 hectares of rubber in operation, but the area of ​​broken branches and twisted trunks is up to 912 hectares, with a total estimated loss of more than 100 billion VND. Mr. Pham The Hung - Director of the Coffee - Rubber Processing Factory (Nghe An Coffee - Rubber Company Limited), said: "Previously, the factory processed 15 tons of rubber latex per day, now it takes 8-10 days to collect 4-5 tons. On average, the unit processes more than 800 tons of rubber per year, this year it only reached about 350 tons, a decrease of more than half".

Raw material sources were exhausted, forcing the factory to operate at a low level. Many workers had to take turns taking leave, and their incomes had dropped dramatically. Some long-time workers shared that they had never witnessed such a difficult period. There was no latex to produce, the factory was silent, and many workers' families were in dire straits.

Focus on restoration and reconstruction of new planting

Faced with this situation, Nghe An Coffee - Rubber Company Limited is mobilizing workers to urgently clear fallen trees to plant new ones. However, the recovery work is facing many obstacles due to the low purchase price of rubber wood.

Mr. Hoang Thanh Tung - General Director of the company shared: "For trees that are still able to recover, we instruct contracted households to prune and clean the garden to maintain income, even though it is small. However, the biggest difficulty is the liquidation of fallen trees because traders pay low prices, not enough to cover the cost of cleaning and replanting. This year's storms have caused heavy damage, affecting the revenue, profit and rubber output targets assigned by the province, and at the same time affecting production results in the following years."

Rubber transport truck broke down in Tay Hieu ward. Photo: Van Truong

In addition to economic difficulties, weather factors continue to be a challenge. Prolonged heavy rains have made it impossible to replant many areas of land because they are still soft and the old roots have not been treated.

To restore the industry, businesses suggested that the government should promptly assess the overall damage, have policies to support preferential loans, provide new high-quality tree varieties, and support the work of clearing fallen trees and preparing for replanting. In addition, specialized agencies need to propose technical solutions to increase the ability of rubber trees to withstand storms in the future, such as choosing suitable varieties, improving planting density and instructing farmers on proper care techniques.

Leaders of Nghe An Coffee - Rubber Company Limited inspect the scene of broken rubber trees that have not been liquidated yet. Photo: Van Truong

Nghe An Province’s Department of Agriculture also recommends that localities review rubber plantation areas, prioritizing replanting in areas with suitable soil conditions, avoiding areas frequently affected by natural disasters. Along with that, it is necessary to strengthen the connection between enterprises and rubber growers to ensure stable output and build a sustainable production chain.

Nghe An province currently has over 10,000 hectares of rubber, mainly concentrated in the old districts (Anh Son, Nghia Dan, Tan Ky, Que Phong). The damage caused by the storm to Nghe An rubber industry not only directly affects people's lives but also has a profound impact on production, processing and export activities. While waiting for support from the State and functional agencies, businesses and households are still making efforts to overcome the consequences, liquidate, replant and maintain production at a minimum level./.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/thieu-nguyen-lieu-cac-nha-may-che-bien-cao-su-o-nghe-an-hoat-dong-cam-chung-10309712.html