Because rubber currently contributes over $1 billion to the national export turnover, it is extremely important to step up development of the industry, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at the ceremony.Rubber is currently grown on 220,000 ha, of which 180,000 ha yields an average 1.8 tonnes per ha, the highest among rubber growing countries in the world.
So far, the sector has employed 83,000 workers, of whom 10,000 are ethnic minority workers. It turned out VND 4,100 billion in profit last year.
The sector’s current projects include plans to plant 100,000 ha of rubber tree in Laos and another 100,000 ha in Cambodia . In addition, it said it also wanted to focus on producing rubber products.