Natural latex rubber is harvested in the form of a milky latex fluid from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis).
Rubber tapping normally takes place early in the morning, when the internal pressure of the tree is highest. Tapping demanded accuracy. Tappers would make a slash in the bark with a hatchet. These slanting cuts allowed latex to flow from ducts located on an inner layer of bark (cambium) of the tree. The cambium controls the growth of the tree, so that the incisions could not be too many or too deep, which could stunt its growth or kill it. The latex is led into the cup by a "spout" knocked into the bark.
The economic life period of rubber trees in plantations is around 32 years — up to 7 years of immature phase and about 25 years of productive phase. A rubber tree can only produce 300cc of latex sap each day.
As a green, healthy and harmless raw material, high-quality latex is very precious. The top end of latex production results in latex bedding products.
