The Centre will give top priority in providing relief to rubber growers who are facing a crisis due to fall in prices, said Union commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Saturday.
“The priority will be to address the issue of giving some relief to growers,” the minister told reporters here, adding that the concerns related to rubber imports would also be addressed, she said.
“Small growers this year have stopped tapping rubber as prices have come down. Many are unable to pay workers and are left with nothing after paying wages and this would be addressed first,” she said.
The minister, who had met representatives of rubber growers, traders and tyre manufacturers on Friday, said the inputs she had received were more relating to problems faced by the rubber industry.
When asked about LNG terminal in Kochi being unable to operate at its optimum capacity, she said both central and state governments have to work together to deal with the issue as so much of investment has gone into the LNG terminal project.