THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Rubber Dealers Federation has urged the State Government to take immediate measures to save the ailing rubber sector of the state.
The Federation said that the slump in price of rubber products in the international market was adversely affecting the rubber traders and thousands of employers working in the sector.
Due to the decrease in income many farmers are yet to restart tapping, the federation said adding that many of the farmers were quitting the sector altogether. The Federation also said that the government should monitor the rates at which companies imported rubber and force them to buy from the local market at the same rate. This would allay the fears of farmers about the price drop and would help in stabilising the rubber prices, it said.It also asked the govt to ensure that unproductive and old rubber trees be chopped down and replaced with new ones with financial support from the govt and banks. This will influence the farmers to return to rubber farming, it said.
The federation said the income tax officials must not force additional tax on rubber farmers based on wrong assumptions by the Comptroller and Auditor General.