RUBBER, TEA

RUBBER

Rubber has been identified as one of the thrust areas in Tripura, in view of its suitability to the terrain and the acceptability amongst the people. Studies have shown that about 100,000 hectares of area in the state can be brought under rubber plantation. The area under rubber cultivation at present is estimated to be about 23,500 hectares, which is the second largest, after Kerala. The yield @ 1,500 kg per hectare and the quality of rubber are also comparable to Kerala’s plantations. In fact, Tripura has recently been declared the "Second Rubber Capital of India" by the Rubber Board.

The state government has taken up an ambitious programme to increase the area under rubber plantations by another 20,000 MT by the end of Ninth Plan i.e., by 2001-02 AD, with assistance from the Central Government, the Rubber Board and the World Bank. As a result, it is expected that the rubber production, which is presently about 5,000 MT per annum, will increase to about 20,000 MT.

The state government is very keen to promote processing of rubber and setting up of rubber-based industries in the state. TFDPC (a state government undertaking) has already set up a Centrifugal Latex Processing factory, with installed capacity of 5.76 TPD, which is being increased to 13.44 TPD. The state government is also setting up a Process-cum-Product Development Centre at a cost of Rs.12 million , with a view to create basic infrastructure for promotion of rubber-based industries.

The availability of good quantity of high quality rubber offers ample scope for setting up of rubber-based industries in the state.