Rubber tappers switch to night shift to beat the heat
JITRA: The scorching weather has forced some rubber tappers in Kedah to work at night to obtain higher latex production.

Mohd Jamil Shahbidin, 63, a rubber tapper from Felda Laka Selatan in Changlun, said the intense daytime temperatures have led to a reduction in latex production.

“When we tap during the day, we start at 6am and finish by 9am. As the temperature rises, latex flow lasts merely about two hours before it stops dripping.

“But if we tap during the night, the latex can continue to flow for up to four hours, so the latex production is higher,” he told Bernama on Saturday.

Mohd Jamil, who is also the Felda Laka Selatan Farm Bureau chairman, said that over 70 settlers there have switched to nighttime tapping to achieve better results.

“In the current hot spell, tapping during the day might yield around 700kg of latex per month, but tapping at night could result in up to one tonne per month,” he said.
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JITRA: The scorching weather has forced some rubber tappers in Kedah to work at night to obtain higher latex production.