James Jacob, Director, Rubber Research Institute of India, points out that natural rubber growing regions in India have witnessed marked changes in climate, particularly rising temperatures and altered rainfall pattern in recent years. The rising temperature has varied impact on growth and yield in different agro climatic regions of the country. As temperature rises by 1 degree, the yield will go down by 10 per cent or more in the traditional rubber growing regions of Kerala, but there is little adverse effect on rubber yield in North-East India, he says.

There are clear indications that the extent of best suited areas for rubber cultivation will shrink in Kerala and the Konkan regions but more areas may become better suited for rubber farming in the North-East in future as regional warming continues, he says.