MRF Ltd will provide rain guarding materials, free-of-cost, to the marginal farmers of Karnataka during the current year. The company has identified seven co-operative societies and rubber processing societies in Karnataka as channel partners for implementing this programme.

With four months of heavy rainfall, Karnataka rubber farmers are unable to eke out their living since they are unable to afford rain guarding materials. Hence, the company has decided to extend support to such farmers.

“We have decided to cover 8,005 hectares of rubber plantations in Karnataka having more than 32 lakhs rubber trees for rain guarding this year,” said Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of MRF. “About 7,500 farmers will be benefited,” he added.

MRF is the largest domestic purchaser of dry rubber in India. Domestic demand for natural rubber per year is about 10 lakh tonnes, of which the company produces only about 7 lakh tonnes, leaving a gap of about 3 lakh tonnes which is being imported.

Rain guarding of rubber plantations will significantly reduce this gap. MRF, while supporting traditional rubber growing areas like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, has a special focus on non-traditional areas which include Karnataka, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya.

MRF is also planning for a rain guarding initiative in Kerala along with the Rubber Board and rubber producing societies.

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