RUBBER FARMERS PRODUCE
MOTORCYLE, TRACTOR TIRES
By Manny Piñol
Arakan, Cotabato – The country’s rubber farmers will start producing and marketing motorcycle and small tractor tires by February next year, a major leap from the status of just raw materials producers.
In simple ceremonies during the Biyaheng Bukid Farmers’ Forum in this rubber producing town, officials of the Philippine Rubber Farmers Cooperative signed a processing and marketing agreement with Valenzuela City-based Leo Tire Manufacturing Corp.
Under the Agreement, the rubber farmers’ cooperative will buy the raw rubber produce of its members at a price higher than the prevailing local buying price using an initial capitalization of P10-M provided by the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
The raw rubber called Cuplumps will be processed into a product called SPR20 which will be delivered to Leo Tire Manufacturing.
Using the farmers’ tire brand “Pilipinas Agila Tires,” LTM will manufacture motorcyle tires commonly used by tricycles and rural motorcycles and small tractor tires for power tillers or “Kuliglig.”
The farmers’ cooperative will market the tires and profits derived from the marketing will form part of its funds for future projects.
Farmer leader Armando Pedregoza said the support given by the DA to the project will start the liberation of farmers from the control of traders and middlemen.
The country’s rubber farmers have complained that from a high of almost P100 per kilo of Cuplumps several years ago, prices have gone down to as low as P20 per kilo.
Pedregoza noted that while Cuplump prices have gone down, the cost of tires has gone up.
By buying its members’ produce and processing it into high value products, the farmers are expected to earn more, he said.
The DA said the tolling Agreement with Leo Tires is the first step in the dream of the country’s rubber farmers to establish their own tire manufacturing facility.
(Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, Anacleto Degorio and Diane Faith Garcia.)
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