The Hindu Business Line : `Raw material supply vital for rubber manufacturing '

As rubber plantation and rubber manufacturing are the two sides of the same coin, they are complementary to each other and efforts should be made by all those concerned for the uninterrupted supply of the raw material for the benefit of the consuming industry.

The manufacturing industry could survive only if sufficient raw material is available for consumption. Scarcity, artificially created, would destroy the industries, said Mr Sajan Peter, Chairman, Rubber Board.

Rubber is an industrial raw material and only if industries flourish, a better and sustainable price could be obtained, Mr Peter told Business Line.

Rubber growers are now holding large stocks anticipating further hike in prices.

The rubber growers should remember that price fluctuations depend on several indigenous and international factors and as such it is beyond forecast. The quality of the stocks retained by the growers will not last for long.

The possibility of theft also cannot be ruled out.

It is always seen that when there is a small slump in prices, the stocks retained by the growers are brought into the market suddenly and it leads to another steep fall.

As the growers are getting good prices for their produce, tapping norms are not observed in most of the plantations and even young and immature trees are subjected to tapping.

Mr Peter cautioned that such tendencies would reduce the productive phase of the trees and the income from plantations.

Rubber being a long-term crop the growers should strive to get better income from maximum number of trees for a maximum period.

Tapping should be made faultless and scientific, he said.