KOTTAYAM: With the shortage of skilled rubber tappers posing a major challenge to the rubber plantation sector, the Rubber Board has come up with special training programmes to encourage participation of women.
Addressing the media at the Rubber Board headquarters on Tuesday, chairman N Hari said the initiative aims to equip women with the skills required for tapping and estate management, while creating new employment opportunities in the sector. “The pro-women training programme aimed at ensuring women’s representation is being vigorously implemented by the board. Over the past month, 1,256 women have undergone training.”
He added that the board has also empowered 980 rural women in the Northeastern region through training in rubber tapping, estate management and other related activities. The National Institute for Rubber Training conducts specialised, pro-women training programmes in latex harvest technology and tapping skills to empower women to take up rubber tapping and address the shortage of labour. Internships have also been provided to 92 students,” he said.
Hari added that the ‘INR Konnect’ digital platform, developed to address the shortage of rubber tapers, will soon become operational. “The platform is aimed at ensuring the availability of skilled workers to plantations where tapping operations have been disrupted due to labour shortages,” he said.
