The rubber tapping season holds much promise.

When the first rains of the season fall, it's also the time when rubber trees need nutrients to produce latex after the leaf-shedding season. At this time, rubber growers focus on clearing their plantations and fertilizing in the hope of getting good prices for the new tapping season...

Processing rubber latex at Binh Thuan Rubber Company Limited.

Good news

In May, the southeastern part of the province experiences hot and humid weather. Interspersed with the sunny days are the first seasonal rains in the communes from Suoi Kiet to Nam Thanh, passing through Tra Tan, which help to "cool down" the area and signal the approaching rubber tapping season. At this time, the trees shed their old, withered leaves, giving way to fresh, green new leaves for photosynthesis and better absorption of nutrients. As these new leaves gradually turn green, the first seasonal rains begin to fall, soaking the ground. This is when the trees need the most nutrients after the leaf-shedding period. This is the golden time for growers to fertilize and provide nutrients to the trees, giving them the "internal strength" to produce latex – the precious white gold that rubber farmers need...

Along the paved road from Gia Huynh commune to Tra Tan commune, which crosses approximately 30,000 hectares of rubber plantations planted by local people and businesses for many years, hundreds of motorbikes and tractors lined up, loaded with bags of fertilizer, heading to the rubber plantations. Inside the plantations, people were busy fertilizing the rubber trees, cleaning them, and preparing for the new tapping season. Mr. Nguyen Son, from Tanh Linh commune, who owns 6 hectares of rubber trees in Suoi Kiet commune, said: "This year, the price of fertilizer has increased by 200,000 VND per bag, so investment costs have risen significantly. The price is still uncertain, but I hope the price of latex will remain stable like it has been for the past two years."

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, from Hoai Duc commune, who owns over 100 hectares of rubber trees in Suoi Kiet commune, is busy fertilizing them to prepare for the tapping season. He said: "This year, everything used in agricultural production has increased in price, including labor for clearing the plantations and tapping rubber." According to Mr. Binh, for the past two years, rubber farmers have made significant profits thanks to consistently high rubber prices. In 2025, at the beginning of the tapping season, due to a shortage of rubber for export, the price of rubber increased from 39 million VND to 47 million VND per ton. After several fluctuations, the price remained at 41 million VND per ton by the end of the season, allowing rubber farmers to make substantial profits. This year, even though many plantations have only recently been fertilized, traders are already offering prices of 40-42 million VND per ton, depending on the quality of the rubber latex. This can be considered a positive sign for the new rubber tapping season...

Expectations for "white gold"

In the southeastern part of the province, rubber trees are widely planted in Gia Huynh, Tanh Linh, Tra Tan communes and partly in La Da and Dong Giang communes. Rubber is a key crop, so many people closely monitor the domestic and international rubber latex market. The price of rubber latex fluctuates almost daily, much like the price of gold. Sometimes, the price might be only 40 million VND/ton in the morning, but jump to 43-45 million VND/ton the next day. Therefore, besides providing high income, the daily price fluctuations of rubber latex, like gold, have led people to call it "white gold."

Rubber cultivation requires less labor than some other crops such as dragon fruit, durian, or coffee. However, if rubber trees are not properly cared for and invested in, the yield of latex during harvest will not meet both quality and quantity standards. The province has approximately 50,000 hectares of rubber, with the Tánh Linh and Suối Kiết areas accounting for more than two-thirds of the total. Rubber is currently the main source of income for many households, not only for growers but also for thousands of latex tappers, who are earning a stable income from the tapping season. Therefore, many people hope that in 2026, the price of rubber latex will increase or equal that of 2025, ensuring good profits for growers and stable employment and income for thousands of workers.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/vu-cao-mu-cao-su-nhieu-hi-vong-442138.html