|
|
|
Natural rubber output rises 9.4% to 712,000 tonnes
|
|
|
|
Top Stories |
|
|
|
|
SME Times News Bureau | 30 May, 2020
Amidst concerns over economy and growth, natural rubber production in
India increased 9.4 per cent to 712,000 tonnes during 2019-20, crossing
the 700,000 tonnes, first time in five years, according to an official
document.
The Rubber Baord has projected 710,000 tonnes natural
rubber production in 2020-21, taking into consideration the crop loss
due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The world production is projected to
decline 2.2 per cent to 13.43 million tonnes.
According to the
Rubber Board document, increase in production can be attributed to steps
and programmes by the board at field levels with the active cooperation
of rubber producers' societies.
The overall tapped area
increased by 40,000 hectares in 2019-20, while the rain-guarded area was
250,000 hectares, up 40,000 hectare over previous year.
Rubber
Board Executive Director K.N. Raghavan, who presented a report at the
180th board meeting conducted through video link from Kottayam (Kerala)
on Thursday, said the production had crossed 700,000 tonnes after
2014-15.
Raghavan, a senior Indian Revenue Service officer, said
consumption of natural rubber declined from 1.21 million tonnes in
2018-19 to 1.13 million tonnes in 2019-20 and the production-consumption
gap reduced to 422,000 tonnes in last fiscal against 561,000 tonnes in
2018-19.
"Production of natural rubber for 2020-21 is projected
at 710,000 tonnes taking into consideration the crop loss owing to
Covid-19," the report, available with IANS, said.
Import of
natural rubber declined 20 per cent in 2019-20 against the previous year
and 70 per cent of the import was through duty-paid channel. Export
increased from 4,551 tonnes in 2018-19 to 12,194 tonnes in 2019-20.
The
International Rubber Study Group has projected the world production at
13.43 million tonnes (2.2 per cent decline) and consumption at 13.13
million tonnes (4.6 per cent fall) in 2020.
Raghavan elaborated
upon steps taken by the board to mitigate distress of small growers due
to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. A proposal has been submitted to the
Commerce Ministry to protect rubber growers from the price fluctuation
through the minimum import price and restriction of imports with minimum
price mechanism in the domestic market.
The board also decided to procure sheets on a limited scale through companies promoted by it on payment of advance.
The
board sought to promote rain guarding by providing soft credit to
small/marginal growers at zero or low interest rate through the village
level cooperative banks and the Rubber Board companies. An incubation
centre will soon be set up to develop new and innovative processes and
products in collaboration with entrepreneurs.
Addressing the
meeting, Rubber Board Chairman Sawar Dhanania said the board and other
stakeholders should target meeting 75 per cent of the demand through
local production.
"All the rubber sector participants should move
together and think of ways to tackle the situation caused by the
Covid-19 pandemic," said Dhanania.
The natural rubber is
cultivated in 16 states. With over 600,000 hectares, Kerala tops rubber
cultivation, followed by Tripura with over 85,038 hectares under
plantation. Other major natural rubber producers are Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu, Assam and other northeastern states.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Customs Exchange Rates |
Currency |
Import |
Export |
US Dollar
|
66.20
|
64.50 |
UK Pound
|
87.50
|
84.65 |
Euro
|
78.25
|
75.65 |
Japanese
Yen |
58.85 |
56.85 |
As on 13 Aug, 2022 |
|
|
Daily Poll |
|
|
PM Modi's recent US visit to redefine India-US bilateral relations |
|
|
|
|
|
Commented Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|