Kerala govt hikes rubber support price by Rs 10, allocates Rs 24.48 crore to aid farmers ahead of elections
KOTTAYAM: A day after the Rubber Board announced a Rs 5 incentive to boost rubber exports, the state government issued an order on Saturday increasing the support price of rubber by Rs 10. The decision aligns with Finance Minister K N Balagopal’s announement during the presentation of the annual state budget in February.
In the state budget, Balagopal had increased the basic price of rubber under the Rubber Production Incentive Scheme (RPIS) from Rs 170 to Rs 180 aiming to support rubber growers. The scheme intends to provide rubber farmers with the difference between the guaranteed price of Rs 180 and the actual market price.
Growers can claim this amount by submitting bills from rubber dealers to the Rubber Production Societies, which will then be uploaded by field officers of the Rubber Board on the govt’s website.
The state government has also allocated Rs 24.48 crore to settle dues under the RPIS. The move is expected to benefit over one and a half lakh small and marginal rubber farmers. With the parliamentary elections round the corner, rubber plantations, particularly in central Travancore, have become a focal point of political attention.
Both the UDF and LDF have centred their campaigns in the region around the rubber sector, with the NDA now following suit by aligning its election campaign with the progress of rubber cultivators.
The BDJS has taken a proactive stance by requesting assurance from the Union government to raise the floor price of rubber to Rs 250.