What is its impact on the rubber plantation industry?
I am happy that I took over as Chairman when the price was comfortable to the growers. The price of natural rubber in the international market had started picking up from May 2005 onwards. The upward trend of rubber price in the domestic market touched almost Rs 70 per kg during the third week of July. Thereafter, the prices started coming down and towards the end of August there was a difference of Rs 15 between the international price and the domestic price to the disadvantage of domestic growers. This called for immediate action. Exports helped in narrowing down the gap between the international and the domestic price. What is in store for the modernisation of the industry? The strength of the Board has so far been on the research activities of the Rubber Research Institute of India and effective extension work by the Rubber Production Department. These should continue. There is scope for improving the productivity further through new high-yielding clones. The quality of processing
