Rubber production to reach 6.54 lakh tonne during this fiscal

KOCHI: The natural rubber (NR) production has witnessed an increase in India. The production during the first quarter of the fiscal has shown an increase of 2.3 per cent on a year on year basis.

The Rubber Board in a press release said, if the trend continues, production of natural rubber during the fiscal will reach the anticipated 6.54 lakh tonne. The stability in price also gives a positive signal.

The board has taken some initiatives to improve production and productivity of natural rubber. The Board organised zonal meetings in different locations for interaction among the rubber growers, representatives of Rubber Producers Societies (RPSs) and extension officers of the Board. The Board has initiated steps to harvest the untapped areas with the help of RPSs and Companies jointly promoted by these societies and the Board.

The Board has conducted a mass contact programme in the traditional rubber belt to popularize low frequency tapping (LFT) as a cost reduction measure to improve profitability of rubber. The Board has directly contacted about half a lakh farmers through the programme and 5000 growers have come forward to adopt weekly tapping.

Apart from this, separate campaign programmes were also conducted in the non traditional areas for improving productivity. A separate scheme for starting ‘Tapper Bank’ through RPSs has also been initiated. Board also proposes to conduct skill upgradation programmes for 27000 tappers in the country, with the active cooperation of Rubber Skill Development Council.