Task Force to be set up to deal with Ker rubber growers' issues

Thiruvananthapuram: A Joint Task Force comprising representatives from Central and state governments would be set up to resolve the problems of rubber growers in Kerala, State Agriculture Minister V S Sunilkumar said Tuesday.

A decision to set up the JTF with an intention to find a solution to the problems of farmers on a war-footing was taken based on discussions held with the Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu in Delhi on February 22, Sunilkumar told the state assembly during question hour.

The state has requested the Centre to provide additional help to increase the production incentive given to rubber growers from the existing Rs.150 to Rs.200, he said.

Out of Rs.500 crore earmarked in the 2017-18 budget, Rs.199 crore has been disbursed, he said.

With an objective to produce rubber based value added goods, the government plans to start a company, he said.

The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, the nodal agency for setting up the firm, has held four rounds of discussions. A list of 60 value added products have been prepared and production possibility of these goods were under examination, the minister said.

Rubber is produced in 6.12 lakh hectares of land in the state.

Sunilkumar alleged that the Centre was following a wrong policy with regard to the Rubber Board, which, he said, was not getting its due budget share.

He said the Centre put on hold its decision to shift the Rubber Board headquarters from the state following widespread protests.