Agartala: The Rubber Board, India has proposed a Rs 500 crore inclusive plan for quality enhancement and processing of rubber goods across Tripura.
Sawar Dhanania, chairman of Rubber Board, India, said, “The Rubber Board has submitted a Rs 500 crore project for the overall development of the rubber sector in the state. Since the state has huge potential in the rubber wood sector, we proposed to Chief Minister Manik Saha to promote rubber-based industrial units here. The chief minister said he would look into the matter and if the funds are arranged, we shall go ahead with the plans.”
According to the Rubber Board chairman, the board is now looking forward to tapping the wide opportunities of processing rubber and rubber-wood-based furniture. He said, “The state government has a lot of funding agencies such as North East Council, Ministry of Tribal Welfare, etc. We can extend the government all kinds of technical support that is required to get funding. Since the Rubber Board is a body constituted just to carry out research activities, we don’t have funds for the implementation of schemes. We always try to work in synergy with the government.”
He also said the Rubber Board has set a target of 2 lakh hectares of rubber cultivation in the northeastern states by 2025 to increase production. In Tripura, 30,000 hectares of new land have been brought under rubber plantation, he added.
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“Rubber is a profitable crop and for Northeastern states, it may work exceptionally well for the rural economy. People in rural Tripura are still quite enthusiastic about rubber plantation,” Dhanania said.
At present, Tripura has 89,264 hectares of land where the rubber is being cultivated. The total production stands at 93,371 tonnes. Being the second largest producer of rubber, around two lakh people are either directly or indirectly associated with rubber cultivation in Tripura.
At present, seven states of the Northeast region together produce around 2 lakh MT of rubber annually and Tripura tops with one lakh MT.
The Tripura Forest Development Corporation Ltd (TFDPC) runs a rubber wood factory at Anandanagar in West Tripura district. It processes old rubber trees produced by TFDPC itself.
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