Experts to farmers: Plant more economic crops between rubber trees

Farmers in the natural rubber subsector in the country have been charged to plant more economic crops between their trees to enhance economic growth.

Experts in the rubber industry posited that since the gestation period for trees usually took years before harvest, planting other economic crops would improve the economic status of the farmer.

Dr Suleiman Idoko of the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN) disclosed that rubber entrepreneurs could either lease the spaces to other farmers or utilise the spaces themselves to plant other crops that yield within a year.

Idoko listed such other crops that can grow under other tree shades to include melon, cassava, pears or other lowly growing or crawling crops.

He spoke on agro-forestry and maximisation of rubber value chain during an event in Benin City, saying utilising those spaces would prevent weeds from taking over the rubber plantations, as well as reduce poverty.

“Inter-cropping can save spaces, maximise income, reduce unemployment and poverty. We want to encourage you farmers to lend out the spaces between rubber trees, or you yourselves should begin to plant other food crops like cassava in-between these trees and create more wealth, increase food production and make good money within one year. Other crops you can plant can be melon, beans, tomatoes, okro, vegetables etc.

“Rubber farmers should not allow their lands to remain fallow for seven or more years when the trees would begin to mature. Within these years, the farmers would have made good money from yams, cassava, maize, bitter-leaf, waterleaf and other smaller crops from those spaces between the trees,” he said.