Mangaluru: Shaken by the regular fall in rubber prices, rubber producers of the state have demanded that the state and central governments come to their rescue.
Rubber price has seen a downward trend in recent years. The price, which was Rs 240 in 2011-12, has decreased to less than Rs 100 at present. With cost of production higher than income, many rubber growers have stopped rubber tapping and some have even started chopping off the trees with plans to grow alternative crops. The state has about 55,000 registered rubber growers covering over 50,000 hectares in six districts of Uttar Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu. Rubber producers attribute the fall in prices to the fall in crude oil rates. “With the fall in crude oil price, industries have started using synthetic rubber - a product of crude oil (an alternative to natural rubber). They prefer synthetic rubber to natural rubber,” Karnataka Rubber Producers Association (KRUPA) president Shridhar G. Bhide says. “Adding to this is the ASIAN free trade agreement which allows rubber from other countries to enter Indian markets easily,” he said.
Rubber growers have knocked the doors of the state government but failed to get any solution. “The Kerala government has come out with a ‘Rubber Production Incentive Scheme,’ for their rubber producers where the difference between the market support price (Rs 150) and the daily reference price approved by the Rubber board will be credited to the bank account of the farmers directly,” he said.
“Despite sending a representation to Chief Minister requesting him to chalk out a similar programme in the state, we have not received any reply. Some leaders claim that there are not many rubber growers in the state. But rubber growers who undertake sale mostly through co operative societies, contribute lakhs of rupees to the government exchequer. So the government should help us,” Bhide demanded.
