9.3. Malay Peninsula business (Consolidated Sango Ltd.) (GB-Malay)

 


(1) Overview

Sango Company’s rubber cultivation business on the Malay Peninsula has a long history, and in terms of scale, it is not only the largest Japanese-managed rubber plantation, but also the largest rubber cultivation business in Dutch Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. It is ranked second only to the Dunlop Company’s operations, which are owned by Holland America Company. Since 1934, production has been restricted by production limit ordinances based on agreements between countries, but the current annual production is 10 million pounds, and production is increasing year by year. The total area of the plantation area is over 40,000 acres, and the rubber cultivation area is over 34,700 acres, of which 22,000 acres are excellent forests, and some of the excellent forests that were first planted in 1934 have already reached the harvesting stage. The goal is to convert ordinary rubber forests into excellent forests year after year as much as possible, and continue planting new excellent forests.In the future, the entire park will be made into excellent forests, and the total area will further expand. Most of the excellent forests are planted with high-yielding rubber trees, using the bud grafting method that was successful in Dutch Sumatra, and cultivation of high-yielding rubber trees using seedlings is currently being tested. Compared to the 500 pounds of rubber produced per acre of conventional plantations, excellent forests can produce 1,100 pounds of rubber, which is about twice as much, and in fertile areas, it is possible to produce nearly 2,000 pounds of rubber. Rubber trees are cut and harvested 7-8 to 10 years after they are planted, and production continues for about 40 years. The collected latex (rubber liquid) is used as a raw material rubber and manufactured in a factory within the plantation, mainly into crepes and some sheets, then packed in boxes or canvas bags and sent to Singapore for sale on behalf of Mitsubishi Corporation and Guthrie & Co.

There are approximately 60 local employees under local manager Sadatsugu Miyake, and the total number of employees is approximately 5,000.

Bengeran plantation 10,541 acres

Batpaha plantation 15,889 acres

Clivetsaal 8,720 acres

2,600-year plantation 5,031 acres of

Total 40,181 acres

Since May 1934, production limitation agreements have been established in each country, and the rubber production and export volumes of our company have been set as the standard production volume standards determined by the production limitation agreement committee members. The standard production volume of our company is as follows.

Standard production in pounds by year

1935 8,724,897

1936 9,112,064

1937 8,920,899

1938 8,884,697

1939 9,783,1152

1940 9,997,152

1941 10,398,745

1950 23,600,000 (estimated amount)

(d) Pengerang plantation area

In 1905, the Sango Company conducted a survey of rubber cultivation in the South Seas, recognized its great promise, and obtained the approval of Governor Kodama of Taiwan, who at that time was already planning on expanding southern Japan. The following year, in November 1906, the company acquired a small plantation owned by a foreigner for the cultivation of rubber and nutmec in Pengerang, Johor State on the Malay Peninsula, and at the same time leased approximately 2,000 acres of adjacent land and began cultivating it. Later, in 1912, he leased 2,000 acres in Pengerang and 4,000 acres in neighboring Sanchi, and acquired the Sango rubber plantation owned by a Chinese. Furthermore, in 1915 and 1916, rubber plantations owned by British people were acquired, and in 1922, Shinkuen was annexed, and the area gradually expanded to become today’s Pengerang plantation, where rubber was cultivated. The area is over 9,250 acres.

This plantation is located at the Johor estuary on the opposite coast to the east of Singapore, facing the sea, and can be reached by boat from Singapore in 3 hours (18 miles). The 609 Plateau, located in a corner of the forested area, is a strategic point overlooking Singapore far to the west, and is currently a fortress area.

(3) Batpaha plantation area

It is located in Bat Pahat, on the west coast of Johor state on the Malay Peninsula, about 94 miles and about 2 and a half hours by car from Singapore city. In 1909, approximately 3,000 acres of the first plantation was leased, and in 1911, 9,000 acres of adjacent land was leased and cultivation began as the second plantation. Furthermore, in 1919, approximately 900 acres of Semburong rubber plantation owned by a foreigner, which was interposed between the two companies, was acquired and incorporated into the No. 1 plantation, and the No. 1 and No. 2 plantations were connected to this area. The first afforestation site is the current 1st ward. The second afforestation site is the current 2nd ward.

There is a 1,000-acre rubber plantation in Jora near the main plantation, which was originally called Jora, but is now part of the Badpaha plantation area 3. This was established around 1910 with investment from Koreko Nakamura and others, but since around 1928 and 1929, Sango Company has been acting as its manager. In 1933, the company made an in-kind investment in the establishment of Consolidated Sango Co., Ltd. The area around the Jora orchard is particularly fertile, and the area has been acquired and now has over 2,000 acres, and these 2,000-plus acres are expected to produce as much rubber as the 3,000 acres of other rubber orchards.

The area under rubber cultivation in this Badpaha plantation reaches over 15,400 acres.

(4) Kleibtsaal plantation area

It is located in Kulai, Johor, 33 miles from Singapore, about an hour’s drive. This plantation began in October 1934 when 6,590 acres of Tenseien rubber and pineapple planting land owned by Chinese people was sold at an auction by the Johor state government office for approximately $500,000, and subsequently many connected plantations were established. The acquired rubber has been cultivated into a full-grown bud grafting forest, and out of the 8,500 acres of rubber cultivation area, the first new plantation, 3,900 acres, is scheduled to begin harvesting by the end of next year.

(5) 2,600-year-old plantation area

Located 35 miles from Air Itam Road, Johor Bahru, Layang Layang, Johor State, approximately 5,000 acres were acquired in December 1939, and the following year it was named as a commemorative plantation site for the 2,600th anniversary of the Imperial era. This garden was established in 1935 when one corner of the Pengerang plantation was forcibly expropriated as a fortified area, and in return, 15,000 acres were used as pineapple cultivation area due to the current production restriction regulations. Of that amount, 1,660 acres were licensed for rubber cultivation, and planting was completed in 1940.

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