No shortage of natural rubber: Rubber Board Chairman

Kottayam, Aug 9 (UNI) Notwithstanding rubber tappers of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts being affected with viral fever, Rubber Board Chairman Sajan Peter today said availability of natural rubber would not be affected because of the viral fever.

In a statement here, he said eventhough a majority of the tappers in these districts were affected by the fever, the shortage in production was only less than 50,000 tonnes, compared to that of the same period last year.

The estimated production in 2007-2008 was 8.74 lakh tonne against 8.53 lakh tonne last year.

Owing to the large-scale import during last year, the stock of natural rubber in the country during the beginning of this financial year was 1.60 lakh tonne.

The stock, as of on July 2007, was one lakh tonne.

UNI