Cambodia Leads the World in Elderly Rubber Trees with 440K Hectares of Plantations

• 19 September 2024
• Property Focus
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Cambodia now boasts the world’s largest number of elderly rubber trees, with 448 mature trees thriving across 14 hectares of the country’s total 440,000 hectares of rubber plantations. This was disclosed by Khun Kakada, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Rubber at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, on 16 September 2024.

The oldest rubber plantation in the country is situated in Chub commune, Tbong Khmum district, Tbong Khmum province, where 448 rubber trees remain on approximately 14 hectares of land. This plantation is key to discovering rubber varieties suited to Cambodia’s agricultural climate, sustaining the nation’s rubber industry. These plantations play a pivotal role in Cambodia’s agricultural output and contribute significantly to both the domestic and international rubber markets.

The story of Cambodia’s rubber industry dates back to 1910 when Frenchman Buya introduced the first rubber plantation in Prey Nob district, Kampot province (now Preah Sihanouk province).

Although the terrain in Kampot proved unsuitable, five major French companies in 1921 successfully identified red basalt soil in Tbong Khmum, Kampong Cham, Kratie, and Ratanakkiri provinces, initiating large-scale rubber production. This history has woven the rubber industry into Cambodia’s economic development fabric for over a century.

For over 100 years, the rubber plantation industry has been closely tied to Cambodia. Today, Cambodia’s rubber industry spans 11 provinces, with nearly 80% of the 440,000 hectares of rubber trees being processed for domestic use and export.

In the first eight months of 2024, Cambodia exported over USD881 million worth of rubber and rubber products, an 84% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to data released by the General Department of Customs and Excise on 10 September 2024.

• Energy and Environment
• Agriculture and Aquaculture Project