The Hindu Business Line : Rubber coop society plans own nursery

Considering the demand for natural rubber in the domestic market, a Dakshina Kannada-based cooperative society is now planning to have its own rubber nursery to raise saplings and sell them to the growers at affordable prices.

The society took this decision, as the quality of saplings supplied by some of the private nurseries did not reach the expected mark.

The Belthangady Taluk Rubber Growers' Marketing and Processing Cooperative Society Ltd — which procures almost 50 per cent of the rubber produced in Karnataka and nearly one per cent of the national production — is already into the production of various industrial products to the domestic market.

Mr Sridhar G. Bhide, President of the society, told Business Line that the board of the cooperative, which met on Tuesday, has decided to set up a rubber nursery at Kanyadi village in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. "We will be able to provide quality rubber saplings to farmers during the planting season in 2007," he said.

Good demand

The natural rubber commands a good market. In such a situation, there is a tendency among the growers to raise rubber plantations. "Sometimes growers find it difficult to get quality rubber saplings. Being a growers' cooperative, our aim is to provide quality rubber saplings to the growers at affordable prices," he said.

100% growth

The cooperative recorded more than 100 per cent growth in procurement in the first three months of the current fiscal. Mr Bhide said it procured 1,500 tonnes of natural rubber worth Rs 15.2 crore from April 1 to June 30 against Rs 7 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, recording a growth of 117 per cent.

The cooperative wants to take its turnover in procurement of natural rubber to Rs 100 crore in the next two years, Mr Bhide said. During the last fiscal, it did a turnover of Rs 52 crore.

Mr Bhide said it was the first one to come out with finished rubber products to the market in the cooperative sector. Set up in 1998, the manufacturing unit produces mudguard mats for vehicles, rubber accessories for irrigation pump sets and doormats and other home accessories.

More Stories on : Co-operatives | Rubber

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Farmers asked to transplant paddy seedlings

Rasi Seeds plans to release Bollgard-2 cotton strain next year

Fishermen object to Vizag textile park

Farmers need real `Help Lines'

Spot rubber prices firm

Ponni Sugars plans to modernise unit

Output slumps

Gold, silver prices recover

Edible oils firm up

Pepper futures bounce back

RubberMark signs MoU with Coir Board for c-pom

Cabinet committee to decide on sugar exports by mills

Rubber coop society plans own nursery