The Natural Rubber (NR) plantation industry, which is passing through a period of crisis on account of the continuing slump in price, may get another jolt if the Union government gives in to the pressures from the manufacturing industry to allow the import of cup lump rubber.
Cup lump is one of the four types of field coagula collected from the rubber tree, others being, tree lace, earth scrap and small holders lump. Cup lump refers to the small amount of latex that drips in to the cup even after the collection of latex. This will be collected when the farmers visit the tree for the next tapping.
At a time when rubber farmers in State are being trained to enhance the quality of their product, the manufacturers are trying to bring in low quality NR, process it themselves and use it in their products. According to Jose K. Mani, MP, the cup lump is priced about ₹60 a kg. “This means the manufacturers can push down the price of NR still lower and force farmers to produce this low quality NR to compete with the imported variety.”
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Value addition in peril
Value addition in NR is the most in India, especially Kerala. “It is estimated that the farmer in Kerala makes a value addition of ₹60 to the raw material at his own backyard,” he said. The manufacturing industry thinks that this value addition could be done at factories so that that proft too could be pocketed, he added.
“If so, the Indian farmer who gets ₹160 a kg will abandon the value addition process and go for manufacturing cup lump rubber which will not fetch even ₹60 a kg then,” Mr. Mani said. In addition to the devastation of the rubber industry, the import of cup lump along with the water content would also lead to major environmental problems.
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He said the manufacturers had approached the office of the Prime Minister seeking the green signal for the import of cup lump rubber. “All political parties from the State should approach the decision makers to put an end to the pressure tactics of the manufacturing industry,” he said.