Human Flower Project
Orrington, MAINE USA
Murrieta, CALIFORNIA USA
Princeton, MAINE USA
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Rubber Flowers
Smallholders in Sri Lanka turn to handicrafts.
Milroy Fernando, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Plantations, announced a program to train small farmers to make flowers out of rubber leaf
Photo: Asian Tribune
You can be sure a region’s economy is in trouble when the economic development idea is handicrafts. Along with tourism, with which such a strategy is often paired, it means little or no investment and low-paid employment—a last resort of poor places.
With an average per capita monthly income of 3056 rupees (a little over $28 USD) it’s not too surprising that Sri Lanka would be considering handicrafts. Earlier this month the Rubber Research Institute in Colombo announced a pilot program to train farmers with small plots of rubber trees to turn the leaf into ornaments, including flowers. We don’t know the state of the latex and timber markets, but this doesn’t sound good.
“The RRI is pleased introduce individual flowers made out of skeletonised rubber leaves for souvenir collectors.” Minister of Plantations Milroy Fernando advocated producing these ornamental flowers “at a commercial scale.” The first rubber bouquet was to be presented to Sri Lankan president Mahindha Rajapaksha.