Rubber tappers at work on the Mamba plantation near Kokoda

Abstract

Rubber tappers at work on the Mamba plantation near Kokoda. There are about 27,000 acres under rubber in Papua but only minor plantings in New Guinea. The Territory is fortunate in having no serious diseases which attack rubber trees. Planters are assisted by the Government to import high-yielding clonal seed from approved sources. Investigations into various aspects of rubber growing are carried out at a rubber experiment station at Bisianumu, near Port Moresby. Exports of crude rubber rose from an annual average of 1.352 tons in the three-year period 1937-40 to 4,399 tons valued at £1,500,197 in 1959-60. Australian manufacturers, who use about 70,000 tons of all rubbers annually, take the Territory's output. Show more