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The rubber board under the ministry of commerce has submitted a special project for rubber development in north east with a total proposed outlay at RS 2,300 crores.
This project is submitted as part of the twelfth five year plan (2013-2014 to 2017-2018) and proposes to cover 50,000 hectares (ha) of new planting area under rubber in north east states. The project for the first five years will cost Rs 1,423 crore.
Overall, the ministry of commerce proposes to develop rubber plantation in a big way in many states including six states of left wing extremism- Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Jharkhand and Chattishgarh. This is over and above the plans to develop rubber plantation in north eastern region.
The ministry has proposed an outlay of RS 230 crore for rubber plantation development in north eastern region in the 12th plan as against an expenditure of Rs 163 crore in 11th plan. Planting subsidy in north east is proposed to be increased from RS 30,000 per ha to SR 35,000 per ha.
There is also a proposal to set up a revolving fund of Rs 2 crore which is meant only for input supply with price concession like building model nurseries and assistance for farm mechanism.
According to officials, all four schemes of 11th plan will be continued in the 12th plan along with some modifications. These four components are rubber plantation development, rubber research, processing, quality upgradation and product development and human resource development.
Tripura has emerged as second largest rubber producing area next to Kerala, with plantation area of 68,000 hectares in 2012-13. Rubber production in the area in 2012-13 was 33,500 tonne and estimated income generated was RS 592 crore.
According to officials, most of the beneficiaries hail from the tribal communities in the state and the present area accounts for only 68% of the total identified potential area.
The Tripura Industrial Development Corporation has set up a Tripura Rubber Industrial Park in the state capital Agartala in collaboration with the Rubber Board under the Ministry of Finance at a financial outlay of RS 23 crore. Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services - Cluster Development Initiative has been appointed as project implementing agency and the park houses 20 SMEs.
