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Concerned over the decline in rubber prices, the Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation (RubberMark) has called upon the Centre to take immediate steps to curb rubber imports.
Unrestricted imports due to surplus production in rubber producing countries has led to a drop in domestic prices and this has put over 15 lakh rubber growers in Kerala in a serious crisis, TH Musthafa, President, RubberMark said.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, he said that Indian tyre manufacturing companies are depending on imported rubber. However, he said that tyre prices have not declined along with the drop in rubber prices. He said that the Centre should change its policy towards imports.
The RubberMark President asked the Kerala Government to send an-all party delegation to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister, Commerce Minister and the Finance Minster with a demand to stop rubber imports.
The domestic rubber prices have declined from ₹208 per kg to ₹144 as of Tuesday. Besides, the higher labour wages for tapping has led to a decline in production. Moreover, the imports have gone up considerably touching 3,25,190 tonnes in 2013-14 from 2,13,785 tonnes in 2011-12, he said.
He also called upon the Kerala Government to take sincere efforts to sanction ₹10 crore that was earmarked in the State Budget. This amount has been approved for RubberMark to procure rubber at ₹2 more than the market price to help rubber growers.
Though a consortium of district cooperative banks have been formed to disburse the money, he said there was no progress so far.
According to Musthafa, RubberMark has procured 110 tonnes this year by extending a financial assistance of ₹1.64 crore to growers in the State.
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