With rubber prices witnessing a sharp decline, Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani today asked the Centre to initiate steps to mitigate the distress of rubber cultivators, including immediately freezing block rubber imports.
At a meeting with Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here, Mani presented a memorandum in which he said that rubber prices have fallen sharply from Rs 240/Kg to about Rs 115/Kg during the last year.
"The Advance Licensing Scheme may be kept in abeyance at least for one year so that domestic prices can stabilise. The Price Stabilisation Fund may be revived urgently," Mani, the Chairman of Kerala Congress (M), said in the memorandum.
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Pointing out that rubber farmers do not get any subsidised inputs like fertilisers, etc. As rubber is not considered to be an agricultural crop, Mani said that a special subsidy package for enhancing their productivity has to be ensured.
Stating that subsidy amounts due to farmers has not been paid for the past two to three years due to low budgetary support given to Rubber Board, Mani called for the entire arrears to be released immediately to small farmers.
