The National Confederation of Rubber Producer Societies has reiterated its demand that the government procure rubber from farmers as a measure to improve prices.
A meeting of the confederation said that the international price of rubber was much higher than the domestic price. Under the circumstances, the State government must step in, procure rubber at a higher price, and export it to help the farmers.
Babu Joseph, general secretary of the confederation, said that if rubber was imported at the current international rate, paying a duty of 25%, it would result in a loss of between ₹50 and ₹60. However, companies that use tyre, especially tyre makers, were conspiring to keep the domestic prices down, he alleged. The situation was such that there was no demand in the domestic market, leading to a price fall. On earlier such occasions, the State government’s State Warehousing Corporation, Rubber Mark, and other cooperatives under government control used to procure rubber from the market, Mr. Joseph claimed.
‘Futile poll promises’
The farmers’ representatives also said that the government had not spent ₹600 crore announced in the 2024-25 Budget and the basic price fixed by the government for revival of rubber cultivation was ₹180 a kg. Both the UDF and LDF had promised ahead of the last elections that the basic price of rubber would be raised to ₹250 a kg.
The State Budget of 2025-26 had not even mentioned rubber in the documents, said Mr. Joseph. The Budget has refused to take the plight of the farmers into consideration despite the international prices ruling high, he added.
Over the last decade, the State government had not done any market intervention and rubber farmers had drawn a blank despite repeated appeals to the government. If the government continued to neglect the sector, the rubber farmers would be forced to protest, Mr. Joseph said.
Published – February 08, 2025 07:45 pm IST