D.M.A.P. Dissanayake

P.G.N. Ishani

P.K.K.S. Gunarathna

R. A .D. Ranawaka

Strategies to prevent evading from Rubber planting:

Introducing Gliricidia as a Fuelwood in Smallholder

Rubber Lands of Sri Lanka

Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka

J.K.S. Sankalpa

Priyani Seneviratne

Wasana Wijesuriya

• Total Natural Forest Lands in Sri Lanka – 163,000 ha

• Forest Department – 90,000 ha

• Wildlife Conservation Department – 70,000 ha

• Isolated forest patches (State agencies and private) – 3000 ha

• Wood - one of the main source of energy (39%) used by

• Domestic sector – for cooking purposes - (78% of country’s

population)

• Industries - for thermal applications

- Sourced from

• Home gardens and plantations

• Trees outside Natural Forest areas

• By products of wood processing

Introduction

Threat :

On Natural Forests due to unsustainable and illegal sourcing of wood

Objectives

• To assure,

– Sustainable Management of State forest resources

– Regulated multiple usage of natural forests

– Rehabilitation of degraded forest lands

– Encouraging tree growing by rural people

– Allowing responsibility for production and marketing of

commercial forest products by rural people

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

Promoting - Production and use of Biomass across the nation

Project – Biomass Energy Production

Objectives

Manage under

1. Community Fuelwood Plantations

2. Regional Plantation Companies

3. NGOs and CBOs

4. Fuelwood Research and Nurseries

5. Government Institutions

• Forest Department

• Coconut Cultivation Board

• Rubber Research Institute

Total Land Area – 1066 ha

Fuelwood Plantations

Eucalyptus sp.

Community Fuelwood Plantations

Objectives

Regional Plantation Companies

Eucalyptus sp. Acacia sp.

Calliandra sp.

Objectives

NGOs and CBOs

Gliricidia

Fuelwood Research and Nurseries

Acacia sp.

Eucalyptus sp.

Government Institutions

Khaya senegalensis Eucalyptus grandis

Forest Department

Coconut Cultivation Board

• Due to low rubber prices prevailing in the country:

– Tendency to abandon rubber cultivations

– Some have evaded from rubber cultivation

– Serious dip in rubber production

– Replanting and new planting reduced by 59% and 80%

respectively in past 5 years

Objective/s

• Building a strategy to prevent evading from rubber cultivation;

Rubber Research Institute

Pilot project - 2017

– Introduce Gliricidia as a fuelwood to improve income states of

rubber farmers

– Benefit the process of power generation as biomass energy

– Indirectly reduce the threat of felling forest trees

Gliricidia only (1 m x 1 m) 8000 plants/ha

At different stages …

At different stages …

Gliricidia - Pepper (2.5 m x 2.5 m)

(1700 /ha) (1700/ha)

Rubber - Gliricidia

1) 8’ x 27’ / 2.5 m x 8 m

2) 8’ x 40’ / 2.5 m x 12 m

3) 8’ x 60’ / 2.5 m x 18 m

Gliricidia plants

2500/ha

Gliricidia plants

5000/ha

Gliricidia plants

6500/ha

Rubber Spacing

At different stages …

Rubber – Gliricidia - Pepper

1) 8’ x 27’ / 2.5 m x 8 m

2) 8’ x 40’ / 2.5 m x 12 m

3) 8’ x 60’ / 2.5 m x 18 m

Gliricidia & Pepper plants

500/ha

Gliricidia & Pepper plants

1000/ha

Gliricidia & Pepper plants

1125/ha

Rubber Spacing

Objectives

Demographic Characteristics

• Expected extent under the project – 100 ha

• Extent under the project at present – 75 ha

• Total number of farmers involved – 102

• Average land size of farmers – 2.9 ha

• Average extent (under the project) – 1.0 ha

• Experience of farmers (Over 10 years) – 64%

• Majority of lands under the project – 1-2 ha(46%)

Geographic Distribution of Lands

Objectives

Projected Gliricidia fuelwood yield for 08 years

270

771

964

1157 1157 1157 1157 1157

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Me

tric

To

nn

es

Year

* Fuelwood supply from rubber (after 30 years) : 19,110 Mt

Objectives

Projected value of Gliricidia fuelwood from

different growing models (per ha basis)

1101

894

688

344

234 155 138

69

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

G only R-G

(8' × 60')

R-G (8' × 40') R-G

(8' × 27')

G-P R-G-P

(8' × 60')

R-G-P

(8' × 40')

R-G-P

(8' × 27')

Fuel

Woo

d va

lue

(LKR

‘000

’)

Model

For 08 years

Financial Feasibility Analysis - NPV

0,53

0,67

0,74

0,91

0,95

5,47

5,89

7,93

8,42

0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00 4,00 5,00 6,00 7,00 8,00 9,00

G only

R only

R-G (8' × 27')

R-G-P (8' × 27')

G+P

R-G (8' × 40')

R-G (8' × 60')

R-G-P (8' × 40')

R-G-P (8' × 60')

Net Present Value (NPV) (Mn LKR)

2,27 2,26

1,82 1,77 1,75

1,37 1,35 1,3 1,25

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

R-G

(8' × 60')

R-G

(8' × 40')

G only R-G-P

(8' × 40')

R-G-P

(8' × 60')

R-G

(8' × 27')

R only R-G-P

(8' × 27')

G+P

BC

R

Financial Feasibility Analysis - BCR

SWOT Analysis

•Additional income for rubber smallholders

• Market value as a fuel wood for energy generation

• Evidence of improving growth conditions of rubber

• Acts as a measure for soil & moisture conservation

(SALT Technique)

• Possibility to use as an organic manure

• Possibility to use as an animal feed

Strengths

• Ability to provide stand for pepper

• Cultivable in unutilized degraded or marginal lands

• Possibility to use in demarcation and protective fence

• Provide shelter for rubber from sun light especially in

intermediate and dry zones

• Adaptable to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions

• Easy propagation & establishment

Strengths

Weaknesses

• Poor awareness on - Usage as a fuel wood

- Marketing avenues

- Proper field establishment techniques

Threats

Opportunities

• Established institutions/organizations available for promotion

• Industrial end users available

• International support is available for research and development

• Reducing the threat on natural forests for energy generation

• Well established market channels not available

• Lack of price standards for marketing

• Unattractive fuel wood prices

• All the models - Positive NPV

- BCR values > 01

• Growing Gliricidia with rubber provides substantial amount

of Fuelwood

• Intercropping pepper gives an additional income for farmers

• SWOT Analysis indicated

– No proper marketing systems

– Unattractive price is a threat for growing Gliricidia

Results at a Glance ….

Implies that all the models are financially viable

• Growers depend on adhoc market channels

- Only 03 Biomass Energy Terminals available

in the country at strategic locations

Establishment of market channels - highly important

At present …

Establishment of market channels - highly important

- Promoting Sustainable Biomass Energy

Production and Modern Bio - Energy Technologies

Future Focus …

Widen the opportunity of using Gliricidia as a promising Fuelwood

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

Project - Phase 2

Objectives • Setting up of Standardized and Sustainable Biomass

Collection and Distribution Terminals – 50 Nos.

Terminals - Cater to the requirement to the industry

- Settle supply and demand fluctuations

- Ensure long term sustainability

• Establish satellite supply chains around terminals

Thank you