Developers of mechanized rubber tapping device to win Rs 5 lakh: Rubber Board

As a part of its on-going efforts to bring about technological innovations in tapping and to address the shortage of skilled tappers, Rubber Board has declared cash award of Rs 5 lakh to those who develop a mechanised rubber tapping device. Moreover, the board will also take the research to the next level in association with the inventor.

Further, the individual or organization that creates the working models will apply for the award and contact the Director of Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), Kottayam, with the prototype of their working models before August 21, 2012.

The selected designers will have to give demonstration of their respective models in front of an expert committee constituted by the board and the winner will be elected to work with Rubber board for further improvement and commercialisation of the selected device.

Efforts are under way in many of the rubber producing countries to develop such a mechanised device. Earlier, Malaysia had developed a tapping tool in collaboration with Japan, but it was not commercially feasible and had encountered several practical difficulties.

Rubber tapping comprises strenuous manual work done with the help of specially designed knives such as Michie Goledge or Jebong. As the age, bark thickness and other features of any given tree have to be considered, experience and personal skill of the tapper play an important role.