The Hindu Business Line : Rubber Board plans region-specific clones

Ujire (Karnataka), Oct. 25 The Rubber Board is planning to introduce region-specific clones (varieties) keeping in mind the agro-climatic conditions of each region in the coming years, according to the Chairman of Rubber Board, Mr Sajen Peter,

He told Business Line on the sidelines of a State-level rubber growers’ conference at Ujire in Dakshina Kannada district on Friday that the intention of the Rubber Board is to introduce at least two new clones every five years. Nearly 160 clones are under research.

He said that the clones under research will be more region-specific, as rubber is being expanded into more non-traditional areas.

Different areas will have different agro-climatic conditions.

The Rubber Research Institute, under the Board, had introduced two clones in 2005, and another two recently.

He said research experience with a clone is almost 25 years.

Earlier inaugurating the conference – jointly organised by the Belthangady Taluk Rubber Growers’ Marketing and Processing Cooperative Society Ltd, Ujire, and the Karnataka State Rubber Cultivators’ Welfare Forum, he said that India is set to become the second biggest rubber consumer by 2020, next only to China. Now India is in the third position after China and the US.

In terms of production, India is in the fourth slot after Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The productivity of natural rubber, which was 330 kg a hectare, increased to 1,900 kg a hectare since 2006.

He said rubber is being grown now in in non-traditional areas such as Karnataka, north-eastern States, Orissa and Maharashtra.

In Karnataka, rubber is produced on about 35,000 heactares of land. There is scope to take the production to around two lakh hectares in the State, he said.

Rubber, which is an industrial raw material, is likely to witness volatility in prices.

However, Mr Peter said, the prices would be comfortable to the growers.

He complimented the Belthangady Taluk Rubber Growers’ Marketing and Processing Cooperative Society Ltd for its marketing efforts.

The President of the society, Mr Sridhar Bhide, said that it markets around 1 per cent of the total rubber production of India and 70 per cent of Karnataka.