THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Rs 300-crore Rubber Production Incentive Scheme, which will sustain the minimum price of rubber at Rs 150 a kg, has come into force from Friday.
Under the scheme, the difference between Rs 150 and the daily price index fixed by the Rubber Board, called the daily reference price, would be granted as subsidy and submitted directly to the account of the farmer.
Around 10 lakh small and medium rubber farmers will get the benefit of the scheme. Farmers having a total area of not more than five hectares of rubber cultivation can register under the scheme.
The tapped area eligible for financial assistance will be limited to two hectares of rubber per applicant. Eligible financial assistance for each applicant will be limited to 1800 kg per hectare per annum, which is also the estimated average productivity of rubber in the state.
The eligible quantity for the payment of financial assistance will be worked out by an online system, and would be computed for each applicant on a fortnightly basis.
The online system for the Scheme will be available at the website www.ebt.kerala.gov.in. Assistance will be given to both RSS IV and RSS V varieties of sheet rubber.
The applications of the farmers should be endorsed by the president of the Rubber Producers' Society (RPS) on the hard copy and submitted to the field officers for verification.
The RPS president will upload the following details of the applicants: latest photograph and scanned copies of land tax receipts, first page of bank pass book and ID proof.
The applications endorsed by the RPS will be scrutinised by Rubber Board officials and confirm or reject them online. The officials will conduct physical verifications in at least 10 percent of the cases.
