With the price of rubber continuing to rule abysmally low, hitting hard the rubber growers in the State, a meeting of farmers’ confederation has decided to stage a day-long mass fast in front of the Collectorate here from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on January 21.
The fast is being staged at a time when the rubber price, which had touched Rs.240 a kg last year, went down below Rs.100 a kg a few days ago with the local market failing to indicate any signs of revival in the near future.
There is an air of desperation among rubber growers who show little enthusiasm to extract latex in view of high labour costs, coupled with poor market. Traders too are reluctant to procure the commodity apprehending financial loss owing to poor soliciting from major rubber buyers for the product.
The farmers’ meet here condemned the State and the Central governments, accusing them of showing no keenness to mitigate the plight of the farmers as many a farmer had pinned high hopes on the commodity which, till recently, had been earning them handsome income that could offset the poor market of other produces. Representatives of various political parties took part in the meeting held here on Monday.
