Rubber Sector Scheme Funds Increase to Rs 708.69 Cr

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) The government has allocated Rs 708.69 crore under the revised sustainable development of the natural rubber sector scheme for the next two financial years (2024-26) to promote growth of the segment, a senior official said on Monday.

Under the scheme, the Rubber Board provides subsidies for new planting and replanting (of senile plantations) to growers.

Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Amardeep Singh Bhatia said that the funds will be used for supporting the plantation of rubber, generation of planting material, productivity enhancement, formation of rubber producers societies, and rubber research and training.

"The outlay (has) increased by 23 per cent from Rs 576.41 crore to Rs 708.69 crore for the next two financial years," Bhatia told reporters here. In traditional areas, including Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, plantation of rubber will be undertaken on 12,000 hectares.

The rate of assistance has been increased to Rs 40,000 per hectare from the previous Rs 25,000 per hectare, he said, adding that it will help to cover the increased cost of production as well as provide additional incentive to growers.

In non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and north-east states, 3,752 hectares will be brought under rubber cultivation during 2024-26.

The scheme is implemented through the Rubber Board.

He also said that an outlay of Rs 29 crore has been provided for the next two years for rubber research.

"This will aim at developing rubber clones suitable for different agro-climatic regions of the country to expand rubber cultivation to new areas," Bhatia said.

Over 13 lakh rubber growers are there in the country. Kerala accounts for a major chunk of the production, which was 8.39 lakh tonnes in 2022-23. Consumption during that fiscal was 13.5 lakh tonnes. The gap is bridged by imports from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations.

The main objective of the scheme is to enhance natural rubber production and productivity.

This would be through expanding planted area, accelerating rubber plantation development programmes in non-traditional regions, including the North-East, intensifying research to evolve appropriate technologies for rubber cultivation, processing and end product manufacturing and transferring technology through training and extension services.