Budget has not considered plight of marginal rubber farmers

The Budget 2009-10 did not take into account the problems faced by the plantation sector in Kerala, especially the plight of marginal rubber farmers, an official of Cochin Rubber Merchants' Association said today.     

Kerala accounts for 92 per cent of the rubber production in the country, of which the small and marginal farmers were responsible for producing around 85 per cent, Cochin Rubber Merchants' Association President Radhakrishnan added.     

"We are almost self sufficient in rubber as can be ascertained from the statistics of the last six years," he said in a release.     

Rubber production should be increased to meet the growing demand in the country, Radhakrishnan said.     

He, however, reasoned the present pattern of replanting activity covering annually an area stretching around 8,000 hectares would result in heavy back log.     

Radhakrishnan said the Indian automobile tyre industry has the capacity to manufacture all requirements of automobile tyres in the country and hence, there was no need of import.     

Pointing out that the duty on tyre import is only 10 per cent, he added the government should increase it to at least 20 per cent in order to save the tyre industry and the rubber plantations from the ill-effects of tyre imports.