By : Pahrudin HM , M.A.
As an agricultural country , Indonesia has long been recognized as a fertile region even before the country gained independence . Various herbs and plants can grow well in almost every corner of the earth that is traversed by the equator . Not surprising to see millions of acres of diverse crops in the sprawling archipelago , both planted and cultivated by the community independently or by companies . The terrain very well to be used by the people of Indonesia to undertake a variety of plants , both oriented fulfillment of daily needs as well as those intended for export . Start of rice, coffee , cloves , and cinnamon , rubber and palm oil to be able to thrive and succeed very satisfying on Indonesian soil . One type of plants that are commonly found in Indonesia since decades ago is rubber . The first type of rubber is grown in Indonesia Southeast Asian natural rubber ( ficus elastica ) which has begun to be planted since the 1860s in various plantations in Java . This kind of rubber was originally a wild rubber trees planted inadvertently aka grows naturally in forests in Southeast Asia . This type of rubber known by various names in several places and areas in Sumatra , such as Palembang rambung and rubber rods in Bengkulu . However, because they are less productive , finally the Dutch colonial government introduced a new type ( Castiloa Elastica or Hevea brasiliensis ) were found by Michele de Cuneo in 1493 in South America . The transfer of ficus elastica rubber cultivation to new types ( Castiloa Elastica or Hevea brasiliensis ) who came from the South American region since the Dutch colonial government's policy to meet the high demand for rubber in the market that one of them due to the more rapid development of the tire industry . This type of rubber is an annual plant that has economic life of between 25-30 years . The tree can be produced sap ( latex ) when it has a diameter of 45 cm and 100 cm above the altitude of the base of the root or when it has been 5 or 6 years old . This type of rubber can be grown , especially , in lowland tropical air temperatures between 24-28 degrees Celsius with rainfall of 2,000 mm . After planting a series of experiments , it turns out this type of rubber is suitable to be planted and cultivated in the archipelago due to climatic and soil conditions is consistent with the specifications needed . In an effort to realize the desire to increase production in order to fulfill the market demand so that implies a large increase in state revenues , the Dutch colonial government opened the rubber plantation . The location was chosen as a new type of rubber cultivation is East Sumatra that includes South Sumatra , Jambi and Bengkulu because the available land in this area is still very wide . 1902 is the first year of a new type of rubber cultivation in East Sumatra done British company , Harrison & Crossfield Company , with experience in Malaysia , followed by a Belgian company , Financiere des Caoutchoues Sociente , in 1909 , and the Dutch - American joint venture , Hollands Amerikaanse Plantage Maatschappij ( HAPM ) , in the year 1910 to 1911 . The increase in the market price of rubber in the range of 1910 and 1911 made a variety of companies affiliated with the Dutch colonial government continues to increase the amount of acreage perekebunannya . Despite the downturn in 1920-1921 occurred a significant price in the market , but it did not last long because in 1922 and again in 1926 there was an increase in the selling price of the market along with the rapid advancement of the automobile industry in America . The great advantage is obtained and multiplied it certainly has a positive impact on the economy of the Netherlands , both in the colonies Indonesia and his native country in Europe . Seeing the success achieved by the Dutch plantation firms in getting the rubber plant , mainly due to high rubber price fluctuations on the world market , people became interested in participating commercialize these crops although still a sideline business from their main activity as farmers planting crops food , such as rice and pulses . Custom of society at that time was to plant rubber seedlings in the area of land that has been harvested food crops or in the newly opened area before planting crops on it . Furthermore , the rubber left alone until it is produced when the sap . The work is done by tapping the community owner himself without involving other people . While the marketing depends on the price set by the Dutch plantation company as the only reservoir rubber production society at that time . Based on a search of the relevant literature rubber diverse in Sumatra , Sumatra can be concluded that the new type of rubber has been planted in 1905 . This means that Sumatran people already interested commercialize plant rubber hose a few moments of the opening rubber plantations undertaken by various companies affiliated with the Dutch . Further said that in almost all districts in Jambi , local people have planted one type of commodity export crops . The same thing happened in Palembang , Bengkulu , Histories , Rawas , and areas upstream and downstream of the Musi River . In short, the rubber had to be excellent engaging every citizen in Sumatra to commercialize them . This is understandable because of the high market demand makes the selling price soared so in turn make people more uplifted and well-being improved .
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