News
U.S. Supports International Meeting of Rubber Growers in Bucaramanga
August 5, 2009
Thanks to the support provided by the U.S. Government, the International Meeting of Natural Rubber Growers took place from July 30-August 1, 2009 in Bucaramanga. This event brought together Colombian rubber growers and Brazilian experts, who analyzed the country’s agro-industrial development of rubber crops. It was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (Acción Social), together with the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture, the Productive Chain of Natural Rubber and its Industry, and the Rubber Confederation of Colombia.
The event will took place at the Buricara branch of the Industrial University of Santander and was inaugurated by Lawrence Hardy, Acting Director for USAID Colombia; Andres Fernandez, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Victoria Eugenia Restrepo, National Coordinator for the Presidency’s Acción Social Illicit Crops Program and Horacio Serpa, Governor of Santander.
Panelists and guests from all over the country discussed how to better contribute to the rubber’s agro-industrial development since, of the 30,356 hectares with rubber, 93 percent of the material it consumes is imported. Some of the topics discussed are the transfer of agricultural and industrial transferring and the exchange of experience to enhance Colombian projects. They also analyzed the country’s agriculture and cattle productive systems.
The first two days of the event comprised intensive learning sessions that will include the following topics: the genetic enhancement of rubber, diseases and pest management, domestic and international markets and trade, rubber as a forestry system, clean coal capture and the possibility of certificate sales, among others. On the third day, August first, there was a visit to the La Voragine property in the municipality of Cimitarra, to observe how natural rubber is planted, produced and industrialized.
There was also a rubber fair where producers will show the various steps necessary to establish, grow, and trade their product. At the fair there were businessmen, shoe sole and auto part manufacturers; rubber tree growers, universities, representatives from the National Learning Service – SENA - and suppliers, among others.