Rubber industry readied for operation in Jhapa

JHAPA: A rubber factory has been established in Jhapa after 30 years of the beginning of rubber cultivation in the country.

The Kankai Rubber Industry based in the Kankai municipality-7 has reached the final stage of its operation. The industry was established at the cost of Rs 200 million.

With the establishment of the Gorakhkali Rubber Industry in Gorkha in 1992/93, rubber farming had begun as a trial first time in Sanischare of Jhapa.

Jaya Prasad Dhakal and his family was credited for beginning the first rubber farming in the country. The Dhakal family had started the farming in five hectares of land. Presently, the farming is taking place in Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari, and it covers around 700 hectares of land in total.

Aspiring investors from Kathmandu and Jhapa have established the industry on a joint-venture bearing in mind the flourishing rubber cultivation in the country.

The industry stretches on 1.5 bigha of land (one bigha is equal to 72,900 sq ft) and raw materials for it will be purchased from domestic farmers. The industry has the capacity of processing 1,000 liters of rubber latex per hour.

During the first phase of operation, shoe glue and rubber soles will be manufactured, said proprietor Balkrishna Sapkota.

The investors hope that domestic shoes factories will use their products as such materials are being imported from Kerala of India, Vietnam and Thailand. RSS