The Rubber Out grower Plantations Project (ROPP) was inaugurated in 1995.  Three phases have taken place already with a fourth phase currently in progress

Phase 1 was launched on 1^st January, 1995 and was financed by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) of France, the International Development Agency (IDA) of the World Bank and the Government of Ghana (GOG).

Its objectives were:

• To plant 1200 hectares of rubber plantation in the Western region for 400 farmers over a period of 6 years.
• To rehabilitate 1300 hectares of existing farms and co-operatives over a period of 3 years.
• To purchase 620 tonnes of rubber in the first year, 930 tonnes in year 2 and 1008 tonnes in the third and subsequent years.

Achievements

Over the five-year period the following successes were chalked:

• Four hundred farmers were assisted to plant 1200.28 hectares over a five year period instead of the projected six;
• 3500 hectares of old plantations were rehabilitated;
• Purchases from farmers peaked above 1000 tons drc per annum
• Forty-one kilometers of roads were rehabilitated.

The second phase was launched on 14^th September, 2001 with the following as objectives:

• Planting of 2800 hectares over a 5-year period;
• 500 new out growers to be selected;
• Rehabilitation of 40 kilometers of road;
• Organization of the Out grower Association;
• Research on Out grower Fields.

Achievements

• 2,855 hectares planted;
• 500 out growers selected;
• Rehabilitation of 20 km of road network
• The organisation of the Out grower Association entrusted to Institution and Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation
• Research on out grower fields was entrusted to CIRAD. As at 2006 eighty-three (83) trials, involving 81 out growers and 10 at the factory were put in place

Financing by AFD and Government of Ghana was to the tune of 6,093 million euros.

The third phase of the out grower plantations project became operational in January, 2006 with the following objectives;

• Planting of 7,000 hectares between 2006 and 2010.  5000 hectares will be planted for 1,250    farmers the Western Region as well as 2000 hectares for 500 farmers in the Central Region.

Achievements

• 1300 out growers assisted to plant 5,887 hectares in Western Region
• 500 out growers assisted to plant 2,000 hectares in the Central Region
• Cumulatively, 1800 out growers were assisted to plant 7,887 hectares.

The fourth phase of the out grower plantations project was launched in January 2010 with these objectives;

• Plant 3,000 hectares for 1,200 out growers in 2010
• Plant 3,500 hectares for 1,550 out growers in 2011
• Plant 4,000 hectares in 2012

Achievements

• 2,889 hectares planted for …. Out growers in 2010

Globally, the Rubber Out grower Project has chalked these successes so far

• Hectares under tapping 2468
• Self Finance hectares  planted 1359 for