The price support scheme for rubber growers in Kerala, India, introduced by the former UDF government to ensure Rs150 per kl for the produce, will be continued by the LDF government, according to finance minister T M Thomas Issac.
The finance minister also said that the scheme would continue as long as the price level remained lower the minimum support price and in a same pattern of per acre production in farmer’s holdings certified by the Rubber Board. This came as a reply to a calling attention motion by Monce Joseph (KC-M). “Many schemes like giving Rs1 and later Rs2 per kilo over and above the ruling market price was experimented but didn’t yield the desired results. The amount given to rubber farmers in the past five years was only Rs128 crores (Rs1.28 billion),”the finance minister said.
Monce Joseph also put forward a plea to look into the scope of increasing the minimum support price to Rs200 per kilo, since the price level has already climbed to Rs143per kl of RSS-4 grade. The minister took a lenient view on this and said that the matter can be discussed. Meanwhile, independent legislator P C George wanted a higher price of Rs300 per kl.
Thomas Issac said that chief minister PinarayiVijayan has already taken up the crisis in the rubber sector of the state with the Prime minister. “Sending an all-party delegation can be examined,” he said.