KOTTAYAM: For more than a century, the pre-dawn hours in Central Travancore, the heartland of rubber plantations, have belonged to rubber tappers. Long before the sun rises, they move briskly from tree to tree, a battery-operated torch strapped to the head and a tapping knife in hand, carving the familiar grooves that set latex flowing. The ritual, deeply woven into the life of the region’s rubber plantations, has remained largely unchanged for generations.
That century-old routine, however, could soon become a thing of the past. Trials by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) suggest that shifting the tapping schedule from the early morning to the evening, with latex collected the following morning, could significantly increase yield from rubber plantations.
The change, researchers say, could not only boost plantation revenue but also bring relief to thousands of tappers by giving a major shift in their daily lives and working conditions.
According to researchers, tapping rubber trees from 5 pm to 8.30 pm is more effective and could significantly increase latex yield and boost the income of tappers. “We have been carrying out the study for the past one-and-half years. In the preliminary studies, we found that low frequency tapping once a week in the evening could increase the yield up to 40 percent. This is still at the trial stage and no recommendation has been made so far,” said Reju M J, the scientist leading the study.
According to Reju, evening tapping allows latex to flow throughout the night before it is collected the following morning, potentially reducing the proportion of cup coagulum - the solidified rubber left in the collection cup.
“When tapping is done in the evening and latex is collected the following morning, the latex gets the maximum time to flow. The main advantage is that the percentage of cup coagulum comes down. In evening-tapped plantations, we get around 95% latex and 5% cup coagulum, compared with up to 20% cup coagulum in morning tapping,” he said.
A shift to evening tapping could also alter the working pattern of rubber tappers. With tapping moved to the evening, workers would have more time during the day to take up other employment, potentially allowing them to supplement their income instead of depending entirely on rubber tapping.
The researchers also see possible implications for tapper safety. Evening tapping could reduce exposure to certain risks encountered during pre-dawn work, including encounters with wild animals such as wild boars. However, the presence and behaviour of wildlife vary across regions, and researchers stressed that safety considerations would have to be assessed before any wider adoption of the practice.
The findings assume significance at a time when Keralam’s rubber sector is grappling with a shortage of skilled tappers and a reluctance among younger people to enter the occupation. A tapping schedule that can potentially improve yields while giving workers greater flexibility could offer a new direction for the sector. The next step is to examine whether the sector can be transformed into a model that offers increased income, daytime employment, and a safer working routine.
