Federation demands ban on rubber imports

Kochi, Oct 20 (UNI) In the wake of the falling rubber prices, Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation Limited today urged the Centre to stop rubber imports, including those against advance licences.

Speaking to newspersons here today, Federation President T H Musthaffa said besides stopping rubber imports, the Centre should reintroduce future commodity trading in rubber, which was banned in May this year.

Mr Musthaffa said the Government should also reintroduce a one time export incentive scheme for the immediate export of 50,000 tonnes of rubber and introduce the draw-back duty for the normal export of rubber from one per cent to three per cent and ten per cent for latex dipped goods like gloves, condoms and ballons.

To benefit the rubber farming community, the Centre should also introduce a fertiliser subsidy scheme, he added.

Mr Musthaffa said the steep fall in the price of rubber for RSS grade from Rs 145 to Rs 80 had badly hit Kerala, which produces 90 per cent of the natural rubber in the country.

The loss for the 1.5 million small and marginal farmers was estimated to be at the rate of Rs 310 crore per month in the State, he added.

UNI MA KVV 1715