The initiatives led by India’s Rubber Board to block the further decline of natural rubber (NR) production have showed results in the past few months.
According to the board’s statement, the country’s NR production during July and August 2016 showed an increase of 10% and 20%, respectively, as compared to the production during the same period last year.
It also added that if the trend continues, India’s production of natural rubber during the fiscal year will hit the anticipated figure of 654,000 tonnes. The increasing trend was noticed from May 2016 onwards.
Increase in production as compared to last year in May and July were 3% and 6%, respectively.
The country’s natural rubber production decreased in the last few years due to untapped holdings, climate change, and shortage of tappers.
An intensive campaign by the board is currently ongoing to assist in overcoming these hurdles and also to increase production to tide over the price crisis, the board’s statement said.
Efforts are also being undertaken by the board through Rubber Producers’ Societies (RPSs) and Board Companies at regional office level and field office level to improve production and productivity.
As a result of the mass contact programme conducted by the board to improve profitability of rubber cultivation, more rubber growers are coming forward to adopt low frequency tapping (LFT).
A Tapper Bank scheme through RPSs to overcome the shortage of tappers has also started functioning.
The board also proposes to conduct skill upgradation programmes for 27,000 tappers in the country, with the cooperation of the Rubber Skill Development Council, it said.