Kerala is one of the largest rubber producing states in India. The rubber plantations are also opening their doors to tourists on Kerala tours who would like to see, a traditional way of life and experience a stay in a rural retreat. The quiet, green, environment of the rubber plantations of Kerala are a fascinating eco tourism option among Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.
The rubber plant is actually not a native plant of India. Dutch colonialists who also cultivated rubber in their plantations in Indonesia introduced the rubber plant to Kerala, because of its similar tropical climate. The Rubber plant (its botanical name is Havea brasiliensis) produces sticky, white latex that is collected and processed to produce natural rubber. A rubber plant has to grow for about seven years before it can be tapped on a regular basis. A rubber tree can be productive for over 20 years. Rubber trees are characterized by their straight trunks and smooth green leaves. The rubber is harvested by rubber tappers who make a long curving cut on the outer bark of the trunk of the rubber tree. The latex from within the tree seeps to the surface of the cut and trickles down the cut into a container, tied to the tree by the rubber tapper. Every morning the rubber tapper empties the cup tied to each tree, in the area of the plantation that he works in. After a few days he will make another cut just above or below the first cut, thus extracting more latex from the rubber tree. Eventually after about 20 years the rubber tree will stop producing latex, upon which a new tree is planted in its place.
Apart from rubber trees other plants grown alongside include spices, areca nut and cashew. You can see the local farmers and plantation workers tending and harvesting the crops on rubber plantations in Kerala, while on nature tours in Kerala with Kerala Backwater.