New Delhi: MP Nalin urges union govt to ban import of natural rubber to sustain tiny farmers

Bellevision Media Network

New Delhi, 12 Aug 2015: A delegation of Karnataka State Rubber Cultivators Hitarakshana Vedike (KSRCHV), Ujire, Beltangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, led by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel met union minister state (IC) commerce and industry Nirmala Sitaraman here on Wednesday August 12, presented a memorandum to the minister urging the ministry to ban import of natural rubber.

The memorandum stated that Rubber Board’s statistics reveals that there is a shortage of Rs 50,000 to 60,000 metric tons of Natural Rubber (NR) production in India as against the industrial requirement of the nation. At the same time, the price of NR has crashed by one third compared with the price in 2012. KSRCHV has sought immediate government action to refix the minimum price of RSS 4 rubber at Rs 180 per kg, considering the escalation of cost in production, because 85 percent of NR is produced by marginal, medium and small farmers and the extent of land owned by them varying from 10 cents to 2 hectares.

 

 
Grave situation is being faced by the rubber farmers in Karnataka owing to steep price fall and the predominant reason of which is the huge volume of the import of the natural rubber to the domestic market.

MP Nalin urged urgent financial aid to the tune of Rs 900 crore from Price Stabilization Fund of the union government to the rubber sector, which is essential to rescue rubber farmers in Karnataka and Kerala.

KSRCHV urged union government to increase import duty to 40 percent of the price and to restrict import through one or two ports and implement strict quality check and make sure that rubber below the RSS 4 quality is not imported to India. NR import should be restricted as requirement specific, certified by the Rubber Board rather than distorting the price structure or manipulation of the domestic market for undue gain. MP Nalin also urged the union government to instruct Rubber Board to procure at 1 lac TEU rubber at Rs 180 per kg as an immediate arrangement for saving the distressed rubber growers.