Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the government of the union to neglect the crisis in progress in the natural rubber sector.
Going to a Mega Convention of the Democratic Front of the Left (LDF) here at night, the main minister blamed the commercial agreements signed by the AB Vajpayee government and the second governments of United Alliance in the strong decrease in rubber. The agreements had allowed the importation of rubber at reduced costs, he said. “They thought that these agreements also enhance to impose safeguard duties when necessary, the government has not acted,” he said.
Mr. Vijayan also criticized the center for refusing to implement a support for rubber support prices. He highlighted the efforts of state governments to cushion the impact of the price drop due to the compensation offer when the market price fell below ₹ 180 per kilogram.
Continuous decline
“Rubber prices, which reached their maximum point in 2011, have bones in a continuous decrease since then, even when the prices of rubber tires, the primary final product or the natural rubber, continue to fly,”
As the State produced almost 72% of India’s natural rubber and 66% of the total area under rubber culture in the country, Kerala’s economy was closely linked to the rubber -based industry, said Prime Minister.
The Minister of Agriculture P. Prasad and the Minister of Cooperation VN VANAVAN were also present.
Published – April 29, 2025 07:22 PM IST