What is a rubber tree harvester?

A rubber tree harvester is a specially designed machine that cuts into the bark of a rubber tree to extract liquid latex without damaging the tree.

For easy liquid latex collection, rubber tree harvesters are hung around the tree's trunk and programmed to cut into the tree at the optimal harvesting time. Highly skilled labor is used to extract the latex because it requires precise gouges in the bark to harvest natural rubber without hindering tree growth and future production. Devices such as Malaysia's Automatic Rubber Tapping System use solar power to keep the batteries charged on each unit, so they can actively harvest at night when flows are heaviest.