Natural Rubber
Natural rubber suppliers in Colombia are very meticulous. They collect it from the rubber tree (hevea brasiliensis). After making an incision in its bark, a milky substance called latex is obtained. This raw material is collected in a container, and how it is handled afterward depends on its purpose.
Natural Rubber in Colombia has a vast amount of cultivation, which is close to 75,000 Hectares. Meta is the department with the largest area planted with approximately 30,000, followed by Santander with around 12,000 Hectares.
This is a versatile material. It can be kept in liquid form to manufacture products such as gloves, balloons, and condoms. Or it can be converted to its solid form, first as a clot and then as granules (TSR-10), for the production of goods such as tires, shoe soles, hoses, floors, rubber bands, conveyor belts and others.
The rubber in Colombia activity is carried out in 17 departments grouped into 6,600 producers, of which 70% correspond to small producers, and 30% are divided into medium and large producers. Today the raw rubber sector contributes about 17,250 direct jobs and 51,750 indirect jobs to the country's economy for approximately 25 years.
Even though national production still does not cover local consumption, the departments of Santander and Meta have mainly entered international markets such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Of interest to Colombia, it is planned to advance trade agreements with Brazil. Despite being one of the leading producers in the region, its production is not enough to cover local consumption.
The national government has supported the cultivation of rubber in recent years. In this context, it was included as one of the products contained in the National Alternative Development Plan (Plante). It is offered to locals of 42 municipalities of Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo, Meta, Santander, and the south of Bolívar, as an economical alternative in the medium term that guarantees them a minimum income if they voluntarily accept the plans to eradicate illicit crops.
