Rubber farmers threaten to intensify protest against low prices

National Confederation of Rubber Producers’ Unions demand that the product be procured at least at ₹200 a kg. The confederation urges farmers not to sell their produce below that price

Rubber farmers under the aegis of the National Confederation of Rubber Producers’ Unions have threatened to intensify their protest from December 15 if rubber using industries do not begin procuring the commodity at least at ₹200 a kg.

A meeting of the rubber producers’ unions on Wednesday appealed to the farmers not to sell the produce if the commodity was not bought by companies at least at ₹200 a kg even as the Rubber Board data showed that RSS 4 variety sold at ₹191 a kg on Wednesday in the Kottayam market.

Global prices high

The rubber farmers, under the aegis of the producers’ union, had launched the campaign ‘no rubber if the price is not right’ as a mark of protest against low domestic prices even while the international price ruled high.

Babu Joseph, general secretary of the National Confederation of Rubber Producers’ Unions, claimed that the present low price in the domestic market was the result of a purposeful action by the rubber buyers and those who sold the commodity to these companies directly.

He said that there was a substantial difference between the domestic price and international prices. Neither the Union government nor the Rubber Board had taken note of the situation though they owed an explanation to the rubber farmers about the price situation, he added.

State urged to procure rubber

The rubber producers demanded that the State government step in and procure the produce from the domestic market as there were farmers who were holding stocks because they wanted better prices.

The rubber producers union also said that the farmers would be forced to resort to more intensified protests if the produce was not bought at ₹200 a kg by December 15.

Published - December 12, 2024 06:28 pm IST