Northeast rubber wave revives Kerala nurseries

The Rubber Board has planned to develop Rubber plantations in an area of two lakh hectares across the seven North-eastern States in a span of five years starting from 2021- 22.

• A whopping 51 lakh rubber saplings, sourced from the nurseries across Kerala, will be making their way to plantations across the Northeast and West Bengal.
• The consignment, comprising 36 lakh of rubber stumps and 15 lakh cup plants (root trainer plants), will be sent to Guwahati on board various passenger and special trains.
• To support the project, the agency has also rolled out a credit-linked rubber plantation development plan for the region with the support of the Automotive Tyre Manufactures Association (ATMA) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

Key points                                                        

• About the GM Rubber:
• Genetic modification (GM)technology allows the transfer of genes for specific traits between species using laboratory techniques.
• The GM rubber has additional copies of the gene MnSOD, or manganese-containing superoxide dismutase, inserted in the plant, which isexpected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter in the northeast.
• The MnSOD gene has the ability to protect plants fromthe adverse effects of severe environmental stresses such as cold and drought.
• Need:
• Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forestsand is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India.
• Growth of young rubber plants remains suspended during the winter months, which are also characterised by progressive drying of the soil. This is the reason for the long immaturity period of this crop in the region.
• Natural Rubber:
• Commercial Plantation Crop: Rubber is made from the latex of a tree called Hevea Brasiliensis. Rubber is largely perceived as a strategic industrial raw material and accorded special status globally for defence, national security and industrial development.
• Conditions for Growth: It is an equatorial crop, but under special conditions, it is also grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas.
• Temperature: Above 25°C with moist and humid climate.
• Rainfall: More than 200 cm.
• Soil Type: Rich well drained alluvial soil

Cheap and adequate supply of skilled labour is needed for this plantation crop.

India’s National Rubber Policy

• The Department of Commerce brought out the National Rubber Policy in March 2019.
• The policy includes several provisions to support the Natural Rubber (NR) production sector and the entire rubber industry value chain.
• It covers new planting and replanting of rubber, support for growers, processing and marketing of natural rubber, labour shortage, grower forums, external trade, Centre-State integrated strategies, research, training, rubber product manufacturing and export, climate change concerns and carbon market.
• It is based on the short term and long term strategies identified by the Task Force constituted on the rubber sector for mitigating problems faced by rubber growers in the country.
• Developmental and research activities for supporting the NR sector for the welfare of growers are carried out through Rubber Board by implementing the scheme Sustainable and Inclusive Development of Natural Rubber Sector in the Medium Term Framework (MTF) (2017-18 to 2019-20).
• The developmental activities include financial and technical assistance for planting, supply of quality planting materials, support for grower forums, training and skill development programme.