THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The government has issued orders, framing the guidelines for the implementation of a ‘Rubber Production Incentive Scheme’, which guarantees a price of Rs 150 for a kilogram of rubber.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had said that a Rs 300-crore scheme to provide relief to farmers, that was announced in the state budget, would be implemented soon.
Under the scheme, the government will provide the difference in the price announced on a daily basis by Rubber Board and Rs 150 guaranteed by the government.Rubber sheets in RSS-4 and RSS-5 categories will be provided subsidy. The price of such categories of rubber will be announced online on a daily basis. If the price is not announced on a particular day, the previous day’s price will prevail. The online registration forms for farmers will be provided by Rubber Board.
Those plantations that have been registered as companies will not be eligible under this scheme. Farmers with less than five hectares of rubber plantation can register their names under the scheme.
However, subsidy will be provided to those farmers with rubber cultivation of less than two hectares.The scheme will provide assistance for a maximum of 1,800 kg yield per hectare. The average yield per hectare in the state is around 18,000 kg.
Using an online facility, the subsidy will be provided to the farmer once every two weeks. The details of the scheme are available on the website www.ebt.kerala.gov.in.