The negative consequences of Mon State’s recent boom in rubber production are being thrown into relief as the rubber market stagnates. Mon State’s hundreds of thousands of plantations are leading to shortages of wild animals, firewood and other secondary forest products, say local residents.

Rubber is the largest agricultural sector of Mon State’s economy, second only to paddy. According to government statistics from 2007, Burma is home to 558,000 acres of rubber plantations, half of which are in Mon State.

Though official statistics are often doubted because of distrust in Burma’s military government, this number is thought to be accurate because of the rubber boom in recent years, when the then-lucrative rubber market encouraged a frenzy of planting.

“Even if you have a lot of money to buy land for a new rubber plantation, you can't because all the land already has an owner, including the top of mountains,” said a plantation owner from Mudon Township. “Don't think the hills don't have owners. They do, and they will be cultivated in the coming year. Just next to my plantation, one owner planted rubber even though it is a stony hillside (not suited for growing rubber).”

The plantations have replaced forest across Mon State, agreed a resident in Ye, Mon State’s southernmost township. “Before when we went from Moulmein to Ye, there was forest on both sides,” he said. “Now when we go, we can only see rubber trees.”

The rubber boom is having consequences for local residents who rely upon secondary forest products, say villagers for whom the barren plantations provide little of the support had from natural forests.

“The mountains and forests are now full with rubber plantations. Other plants cannot grow because the plantation workers clear them away every year,” said a plantation owner from Mudon Town. The ground between rows of rubber trees on plantations are usually kept completely clear to protect against forest fires.

“Charcoal and firewood cannot be found in the forest anymore,” said the plantation owner from Mudon Town. “It has been 5 or 6 years since we could easily find charcoal or firewood. So people have to use old wood from rubber plantations for firewood.”

Another farmer from Mudon agreed: “We have to buy firewood and supplies for building huts and making tools since there has been the loss of forest. We have to spend more money to buy supplies like that.”

The replacement of complex forest habitat with mono-cultured, barren-floored tree plantations means that wild animals are also becoming scarce. According to a hunter in Thanbyuzayat Township, at least half the animals normally seen in the area are gone. By way of example, the hunter told IMNA that 5 years ago he could catch 10 wild cats in a single night. Now, it is rare for him to catch any.

Some farmers who spoke with IMNA were cognizant of the effects their rubber plantations have on local wildlife, but said they had no choice. “If you don’t plant the rubber trees, other people will plant,” said one farmer. “Even though we knew it is not good for the environment, we had to plant the trees.” A sadly ironic statement given the state of the current rubber market; rubber fetches just 25% of its 2008 price.