From Our Correspondent
AGARTALA: Though Tripura has emerged a major natural rubber producer in the country; the law productivity still remains a problem despite several attempts.
Use of poor quality planting materials, old trees and lack of care have been contributing low productivity of natural rubber in Tripura, second largest rubber producing state in the country.
Talking to media, Rubber Board Chairman Sheela Thomas said substantial number of rubber trees here is very old probably plated way back in 1963.
“These trees are needed to be replanted immediately to increase the productivity of natural rubber. Though replanting process has got underway, it needs to be expedited if the state wants to increase the productivity”, she said.
Thomas said the Rubber Board in association with Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) has been trying to provide high yielding planting materials to the farmers.
She further said the shortage of skilled tapers has been affecting the collection of natural rubber.
“Tapping process is very important to increase the productivity. Required number of skilled tapers is still a problem though Rubber Board is ready to impart training in tapping”, she pointed out.
Thomas also laid emphasis on local consumption of natural rubber. “Tripura produces 37,399 MT natural rubber annually and only 8 percent of the total production is consumed locally. A lot works need to be done in this segment”, she said adding that the consumption of raw rubber or latex would be increased once the Rubber Park is fully operational.
As of now, six units have been set up in the Rubber Park at Bodhjungnagar Industrial Estate , 12 km from the state capital.
About 61,082 hectares of land has been covered with rubber plantation and 15,555 hectares of land has been identified as potential area of rubber cultivation.
Thomas also made it clear that the rubber cultivation has no adverse impact on the ecology.
“There might be misconception that the rubber cultivation destroys the ecological balance. But the truth is that it has no adverse impact on the environment as it has been proven in Kerala”, she added.
