The Hindu Business Line : Integrated approach of Rubber Board finds merit

Kottayam, Dec. 19 The Rubber Board has become a role model for all commodity boards and the Ministry intends to replicate this in other crops such as pepper, cardamom, cashew, coconut, and tea among others said Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce.

The Rubber Board adopts an integrated approach combining research extension, development, and marketing departments under one roof unlike other agencies in the agricultural sector, he said. He was inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of the extension schemes of the Rubber Board at Kottayam.

The thrust area for rubber development in the Eleventh Five Year Pan is expansion of cultivation in non-traditional areas. A total of 70,000 hectares will be brought under cultivation in the north eastern States including 5,000 hectares each in Karnataka and Orissa.

Growth estimate

Based on the present growth rate it is estimated that within the next ten years or so India will overtake Japan and the US and will become the second largest consumer of natural rubber.

To meet the future requirements India should increase natural rubber production. If not, the result would be more imports. Replanting thus becomes very important and therefore, the rubber planting subsidy, which is 20 per cent now, should be enhanced to at least 25 per cent, similar to the subsidy for tea.

Targets

The rubber planting target during the Eleventh Plan is 34,000 hectares. The minister has asked the growers to plant the new high-yielding clones of RRII 4,000 series also instead of using only the RRII 105 series.

He observed that the futures benefits only traders and speculators, and said that it should be modified in such a way that growers and rubber producers societies become the primary beneficiaries in rubber futures.

The minister presented the ‘Suvarnasanghom’ award for the best Rubber Producing Societies (RPS) to Elavampadom RPS in Palakkad district. Mr Sajen Peter, Chairman, Rubber board, welcomed the gathering. Mr Suresh Kurup, MP, presided. Ministers, MPs, MLAs, board members, and senior officers from the Rubber Board were among those who participated.