Rubber dealers call for temporary ban on rubber import

Kochi, Oct 10 (UNI) The Cochin Rubber Association today urged the Centre to impose a temporary ban on duty-free imports of rubber for a period of six months against the backdrop of falling rubber prices.

In a statement here, Association President N Radhakrishnan said the prices of rubber had come down from Rs 137 to Rs 85 per kg in the last fortnight. Falling prices had adversely affected the interests of the rubber dealers.

''The state government would also lose substantial amount on account of VAT and the only remedy was to suspend duty-free import of rubber for a period of at least six months,'' he said.

''Unless the Central government takes action immediately, over a million Indian rubber growers will be in distress and if such a situation is allowed to continue, it will have serious repercussions on the entire socio-economic fabric of Kerala,'' he added.

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