Central rubber package soon: Alphons Kannamthanam

KOCHI: The Union government will announce a package for the rubber farmers ailing under a prolonged price crash. Addressing a meeting of various stakeholders in the rubber sector at Rubber Board in Kottayam on Sunday, Alphons Kannamthanam, minister of state for tourism and IT, also assured them that the government will escalate the process of completing the national rubber policy.

Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu will soon visit Kottayam to have first-hand information of the condition of the farmers and other stakeholders in the rubber sector, he said. The meeting convened by Mr Kannamathanam was also attended by senior officials from the ministry of commerce. Rubber farmers in the state, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of the natural rubber production, in the country are reeling under a price crash for the past many months. 

The average price of the commodity is currently ruling around Rs 124 per kg for the benchmark RSS-4 grade compared with Rs 155 per kg one year ago. Rubber growers have been demanding a price stabilisation fund and measures to keep the price at the level of Rs 150 per kg. Although the government has announced formulating a national policy for rubber the same has not made much progress.