Lok Sabha Question No. 144 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-17
Subject: Problems of Rubber Growers
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, FAIZAL P.P. MOHAMMED, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 144 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  JULY, 2017

## PROBLEMS OF RUBBER GROWERS

## 144.  SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN: MOHAMMED FAIZAL: ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any mechanism to control the rubber price fall and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  planning  any  price  stabilization  funds  to  support  the struggling rubber farmers in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  any  financial  assistance/revival packages for rubber farmers and plantation agriculture sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  to  understand  the  real  issues faced by rubber growers and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken to address these issues; and
- (e) whether the Government has rejected the proposal to declare a national policy on rubber and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor and if not, the decision taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh fueZyk lhrkje.k½ ¼Lora= izHkkj½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) No, Madam.  The Natural Rubber (NR) prices are determined by market fundamentals and a range of factors which inter alia includes trends in economic growth in major consuming countries, oil/synthetic rubber prices, weather conditions and developments in futures markets.Domestic NR market generally follows the trends in world market with occasional divergences due to region specific and seasonal factors.
- (b)  &  (c)  The  Government  has  approved  a  market-linked  Revenue  Insurance  Scheme  for Plantation  Crops  (RISPC)  for  protecting  the  farmers  of  plantation  crops,  including rubber  farmers,  against  losses  arising  from  fluctuations  in  yield  as  well  as  prices. Initially, Palakkad district in Kerala was selected for implementation of the Scheme on  pilot  basis  in  NR  sector.  Subsequently,  Kottayam  district  was  also  included  in March  2017.  Government  is  also  providing  financial  assistance  to  farmers  of

plantation  agriculture  sector,  through  various  Schemes  such  as  Sustainable  and Inclusive  Development of Natural Rubber Sector, Tea Development and Promotion Scheme,  Integrated  Coffee  Development  Project  and  Export  Oriented  Production, Export Development & Promotion of Spices.No revival package is being considered at present.

- (d) No, Madam.
- (e) The Government has already taken action on many of recommendations of the Expert Committee on Natural Rubber Policy. As recommended, Revenue Insurance Scheme for  Plantation  Crops  and  Scheme  for  promoting  Processing  of  Block  Rubber  from Latex Coagulum has already been approved by the Government. However, no policy has been framed for any particular plantation crop and therefore, it has been decided not to formulate a separate policy for Natural Rubber.

*******