The United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI), apex body of planters in the region, and Association of Kerala Planters today made a strong plea for a ban on import of natural rubber through all channels to help farmers facing a crisis due to fall in domestic prices.
UPASI President N Dharmaraj drew the attention of the central government to the plight of rubber growers who are "in grave distress" due the record low current price levels of Rs 98 per kg for the prime grade RSS IV, which is far below the cost of production.
APK Chairman Vinayaraghavan said rubber import should be banned. "There is no other way to save farmers who are reeling under crisis," he said in a statement here.
Dharmaraj in a release said the low prices were forcing the farmers to stop tapping or even abandon rubber cultivation and UPASI was seriously concerned about their plight.
Quoting Rubber Board statistics, he said production during April-December last year was 4.28 lakh tonnes compared to 5.10 tonnes during the corresponding period a year earlier.
On the contrary, the imports touched a figure of 3.27 lakh tonnes during April-December 2015.
"The unrestricted imports are the primary reason for the price crash affecting the lives of more than a million growers and their families, mostly in Kerala," he said.
While appreciating the government's decision to impose port restrictions in imports and ban duty-free imports till March this year, UPASI said they would have been more effective if imports were allowed only through the ports of Kolkata and Visakhapatanam as earlier.
"Further the percentage of duty-free imports is only to an extent of 15-20 per cent of total imports," he said.
The APK said the Centre's recent decision to restrict rubber import under advance license system till March 31 would not provide much relief to rubber growers.
The price of natural rubber in domestic market has touched Rs 95 per kg. On the other hand, the production cost was Rs 150 per kg, he pointed out.
Stating that rubber production in the state had come down in 2015, he pointed out that production which was 5.10 lakh tonne in April-December 2014, has touched a low of 4.28 lakh tonne in the same period last year.
The unrestricted import of rubber would push state's economy into a danger zone',he added.
"Import of natural rubber should be banned at least for one year to save the farmers from the present crisis',he said adding 'price of rubber should be fixed at Rs 150 per kg'.
He also suggested that 'Safeguard Duty' levied on steel import should be made applicable to rubber and it should be included in the 'Make in India' programme.
