The Hindu Business Line : Rubber Board hopeful of achieving production target

THE Rubber Board on Thursday reiterated that India's annual rubber production in 2005-06 would grow by the projected 4 per cent to touch 7.80 lakh tonnes despite a shortfall occurred in the past months.

"We will easily achieve 7.80 lakh tonnes," said Dr A. Krishna Kumar, Production Commissioner of the Board. "The drop we saw in the previous months was because of disrupted tapping," he said.

Recent statistics compiled by the Board show that production during April-November was 5.16 lakh tonnes, up by 3.6 per cent from 4.98 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

"With this kind of growth, we will achieve the 4 per cent growth for the year," Dr Kumar said. Another official of the Board said production in December was expected to be around 95,000 tonnes.

Rubber trade had earlier sounded sceptical about Rubber Board's production forecast, as natural rubber shortage was palpable in the market. Heavy monsoon and widespread rains during October and November affected tapping in Kerala, which produces over 90 per cent of the country's natural rubber.

Dr Kumar said production had picked up now and this trend might continue during the month. "It's like getting an extra month," he said. Also, prevailing high prices would induce farmers to carry out continuous tapping.

Consumption of NR during April-November was 5.30 lakh tonnes, up by 6.4 per cent over the same period a year ago. Imports during April-December was 41,044 tonnes and exports was 49,941 tonnes, Rubber Board statistics show.

Dr Kumar said average yield in a hectare would rise to 1,745 kg in the current fiscal from 1,705 kg in the previous year, which was the highest in the world among rubber producing countries.