By Sukanta Sarkar
Rubber is one of the most important cash crops, with multipurpose uses. It is produced from the latex of rubber trees, an exotic deciduous rain forest tree species of Family Euphorbiaceae. Rubber plantation has become a much-talked phenomenon in the State of Tripura. Rubber plantation was raised for the first time in Tripura in 1963 by the State Forest Department as soil conservation initiative. Tripura Forest Department & Plantation Corporation Limited (TFDPC), a State Govt. undertaking established in 1976, adopted rehabilitation of degraded forests through rubber plantation for commercial exploitation as its primary objective. The State Govt. transferred 10,000 ha of degraded on a long-term lease to TFDPC for raising rubber plantation.
Considering high productivity, storage, transportation and marketing facilities, the government encouraged its plantation with financial support; land allotment and foreign technical assistance. Public and private enterprises established plantations in different hilly regions and commercial exploitation started successfully within seventh years of plantation. The growth and latex flow is also very encouraging. Since maintenance and processing cost is relatively very low and a good price of rubber prevailed till 1996, it was considered an important crop with high potentiality.
Progress of Rubber Plantation:
India ranks third in terms of production of Natural Rubber in the World after Thailand and Malaysia. Kerala is the largest and Tripura is the second largest producer of natural rubber in the country. Rubber Board started implementing Group and Block plantation schemes from 1992 and thus a revolution set off. Rubber Board kept on promoting rubber from village to village and a spectacular progress could be achieved. Recently a Rubber Mission has been set up by Government of Tripura for better co-ordination of all the agencies involved in taking up plantation and marketing of rubber.
The following table shows the year wise extension in area of rubber plantation in Tripura till 2007-08.
Year Area ( in Ha. )
1976-77 574
1981-82 3,590
1986-87 10,085
1991-92 17,860
1996-97 23,936
2001-02 30,575
2006-07 35,760
2007-08 39,670
Source: Economic Review of Tripura 2007-08.
Therefore, rubber plantations are increasing very rapidly in Tripura. The state government has taken up an ambitious programme to significantly increase the area under rubber plantations during Tenth Plan period. The rubber production at present is about 10,000 MT, which is fast increasing, with more and more plantations reaching the tapping stage. Presently, only about 10% of rubber produced in the State locally by industrial units and remaining quantity is sold outside the State. Recently, export of rubber to Bangladesh has also started.
Challenges:
It is true that rubber plantations are extending in Tripura very firstly but it also facing various challenges. The major challenges are,
1. Strengthening of institutional infrastructure: Strong extension support is essential for cultivation and management of a sophisticated crop like rubber and more so in a remote non-traditional zone like Tripura. Government institutions are not extending much in all subdivisions like Kamalpur, Gandachara because for backwardness.
2. Insurance for mature rubber plantation: Rubber Board used to administer an insurance scheme jointly with the National Insurance Company for mature plantations as in the case of immature plantation. The scheme for mature plantation is inoperative since in the North-eastern region, although it continues in the traditional area.
3. Wind breaks or shelter belts: As the rubber plantation was made with pre-fixed SPH that maintained for production period, the competitions for growth and survival is less than the plants grow in the natural forests. For that reason imbalanced growth of rubber plants resulted low withstanding capacity against storm and cyclones.
4. Stray cattle: Stray cattle are menace for juvenile rubber plantations in Tripura. Hundreds of hectares of plantations suffered serious damage and some has been completely wiped out due to grazing during the first two years of planting.
5. Scarcity of fertilizer: Short supply of fertilizer has been a perennial problem for rubber plantations of the North-eastern states particularly Tripura. This vexed problem needs immediate attention of the Government for effective resolution.
6. Propagation and plantation practices: Clones were propagated by bud grafting methods. Green budding was followed by most of the plantations in government sectors but the suitability of the budded plants is not good for plantation as the plants are planted in the following year when they are too big.
Concluding Remarks:
Although rubber plantation is expanding in Tripura because of suitable soil and climate but plantations are facing various problems. In Tripura rubber plantations are growing in both hilly and plain areas.
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