Mangaluru : Rubber growers, who have been distressed owing to more than 155 per cent fall in prices in the last five years, may get some relief as two government representatives, who met the protesting growers here on Monday, promised action on their two main demands.

The growers demanded that the State government announce a minimum support price for natural rubber on the lines of Kerala and urged the Union government to increase the import duty on natural rubber. They staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office under the aegis of the Karnataka State Rubber Belegarara Hitarakshana Vedike.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, promised that he would strive to get the import duty increased from the present 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Stating that he had already discussed the issue with Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he said that the response was very positive. The announcement of hike might be made within a fortnight, he said.

The growers had demanded that the import duty be hiked by up to 75 per cent.

Mr. Kateel said that if the State government were to announce the minimum support price, then he could make efforts to reimburse the total fund to the State government from the Union government.

B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada and Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, said that he would lead a delegation of rubber growers to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shortly to reserve funds in the 2016-17 budget for providing minimum support price.

Mr. Rai said he would apprise the Chief Minister of the need in the backdrop of a fall in prices.

Mangaluru : Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission Chairman Dr T N Prakash Kammaradi said he would recommend the State government to provide the Kerala model of package for rubber growers who are facing a crisis following the steep fall in the price of rubber.

Speaking at a meeting convened to discuss the problems of rubber growers with the Rubber Board officials, the Horticulture and Agriculture Department officials here on Monday, he said a detailed report on strengthening the Rubber Board, checking the expansion of area under rubber cultivaton, minimum support price and package for rubber growers would be submitted to the government.

A Rubber Board official said the Kerala government has announced Rubber Production Incentive Scheme (RPIS) and Rs 150 as reference price for rubber.The Kerala government has allotted Rs 300 crore in the budget for disbursement of subsidies.

Accordingly, the difference between the market support price and the daily reference price, approved by the Rubber Board, would be credited to the bank accounts of the growers or rubber producer society, the official added.

Kammaradi said, “Rubber does not come under the perview of Agriculture Price Commission. However, the commission is looking to find alternative ways in the interest of a large number of growers who are in distress in Karnataka. There is a need to conduct a study on decreasing the cost of production. The possibility of mixed cropping along with rubber to increase the income of the growers should also be looked into.”

The representatives of Karnataka Rubber Planters’ Association and other rubber growers’ associations said the cost of production per one kg of rubber is Rs 127 during the current year. However, the growers are fetching only Rs 94 per kg in the market and as a result, they are incurring loss. In Kerala, the government has announced subsidy for the growers. A similar model should be emulated in Karnataka to protect the rubber growers, they said.

In response, Horticulture Department Deputy Director Yogish H R said the State government has already constituted a committee to study the package announced by the Kerala government for the rubber growers following an appeal by the rubber
growers.

Accordingly, the deputy directors of Horticulture from Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga districts would conduct a study and submit a report to the government at the earliest, he added.

The rubber growers demanded, “The import duty on latex has been increased to 70 per cent while the import duty of rubber sheets is 25 per cent. The country is facing a shortage of 50,000 tonnes of rubber and hence, permission has been given to import 4.5 lakh tonnes.

“This has resulted in a steep fall in the price of rubber. The import duty for rubber sheets should be increased to 70 per cent.”

Kammaradi also suggested the Rubber Board and the rubber growers’ associations to conduct a workshop to deliberate on the need for expansion of area under rubber cultivation at the earliest.

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim and Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar were present.