Price crash has rubber farmers lose hopes

KOTTAYAM:   The rubber farmers in the state are a worried lot due to the falling  rubber prices, especially at the time of school reopening as they have to meet the mounting expenses  of their children’s education. The price fell to Rs 126 a kg on Thursday and the farmers are paid only Rs 124 - 123. The prices  had touched Rs 169 per kg in January. The Rubber Producing Societies (RPS) have huge stocks of latex in their godowns  as they could not be sold due to the  price crash.

“A total of 250 barrels of latex are lying  in our godowns as we  had purchased it for a higher price. The rubber traders are also not buying  the latex,”  said Mr Babu Joseph, president of the Pallikathode RPS. “Many small farmers  have stopped rubber tapping owing to the losses they have suffered,” Mr Binu Thomas, a  farmer of Chappath near Pampady,  told DC.  

The  rubber tappers are also suffering as tapping cannot be done during monsoon without  rain guard, which costs Rs 70 to Rs 100 per rubber. The regional offices of the Rubber Board from where the  farmers get the subsidies and other assistance have been closed adding to their woes.    The regional offices of the board at Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kothamangalam have been merged into other offices.