Rubber farmers in Karnataka are happy as prices rise again after 13 years

Mangaluru: The rise in the price of natural rubber after 13 years has brought a smile back to the faces of growers, a result of rising prices in the international market.

Prices have fallen from Rs 242 per kg in 2011 to Rs 149 per kg in 2023.

This year, rubber (RSS class 4) is priced at Rs 239 per kg, while RSS class 5 is priced at Rs 234 per kg. Latex prices have also increased to Rs 165 per kg.

Traders expect a further increase as demand for natural rubber is increasing and supply is tight due to heavy rains in Kerala, coastal districts and Malnad districts of Karnataka. Rubber is grown on 55,000 hectares in the state.

In India, 857,000 tonnes of natural rubber are produced and 141,600 tonnes are consumed, resulting in a supply-demand gap of 559,000 tonnes.

“The industry’s demand for natural rubber has increased. During the lean season (monsoon), prices usually go up,” said M Vasanthagesan, Managing Director of the Rubber Board, DH.

He said, “The Union government is providing financial assistance through the Rubber Board for expanding the area under rubber cultivation. The measures include releasing higher yielding clones, assisting in adopting good agricultural practices such as spraying of disease control chemicals and rain protection of trees.”

Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasad recently told the Rajya Sabha that natural rubber production in Karnataka has increased from 41,550 tonnes in 2019-20 to 52,000 tonnes in 2023-24.

As part of a government program, growers receive financial assistance and training programs are organized to teach them scientific methods for extracting latex and processing it into rubber sheets.

The growers said, “Farmers are selling latex as it is difficult to dry it during the monsoon. Buyers come to our homes to collect the latex.”

“During the rainy season, farmers cannot tap the rubber directly. If water enters the tap, it causes fungus and the tree becomes sick. Some farmers use rain covers on the trees while tapping,” they said.