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Rubber board set to right output record

Rubber growers angry; to stage march on April 27

KOCHI: Rubber Board is all set to make a drastic reduction in the rubber output estimates for the past five years following the realization that the earlier estimates were much higher than the actual output.

A sub-committee of the National Rubber Policy will decide on the quantum of the downward revision of the output in the next few days, a source told DC on Friday. Rubber growers however, are up in arms against the proposal for revision on the grounds that it will increase the imports of natural rubber further.

Rubber growers have decided to stage a protest march and public meeting before the office of the Board on April 27. KPCC president VM Sudheeran is scheduled to inaugurate the protest march.

A meeting of the committee for the National Rubber Policy to be held in Delhi on April 28 will decide the on date for the sub-committee meeting, the source said.

The output will be revised by at least 10 per cent from the earlier estimate covering a period from the financial year 2009-10 to 2013-14, he added. A 10 per cent downward revision will bring down the inflated estimates by at least 70,000 to 1 lakh tonne for the past fuive years.

Board is forced to make a downward revision of the output as a result of the inflated figures in the earlier years due to reluctance of the top officials of the Board to convey the actual output, said a source.

A fall in production was visible from 2007 but persons at the top were not ready to accept the finding, he added.

Doubts about Board’s output estimate was first raised by Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, the apex body of major tyre makers in the country, following the price of commodity reaching all time high over Rs 200 per kg in 2009-10.

( Source : dc )
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