Alarmed by a significant decline in the production of RSS-4 grade rubber sheets, growers have called upon the State government to introduce a production incentive for the Group Processing Centres of rubber across Kerala.

Babu Joseph, general secretary of the National Confederation of Rubber Producers’ Association (NCRPS), on Thursday expressed concern that many group processing centres, initially established with the support of the Rubber Board, have become non-operational due to increasing losses.

“Small growers in Kerala are increasingly moving away from sheet rubber production because of rising costs and a shortage of firewood, etc. In this context, the government should introduce a production incentive of at least Rs. 25 per kilogram of sheet rubber,” he stated.

He also highlighted that the funds allocated for the Rubber Production Incentive Scheme have been underutilised since the previous State Budget. He suggested that these funds be effectively used to support this initiative.

Recently, the Rubber Board issued a statement urging growers to focus more on sheet processing rather than selling latex. According to the agency, sheet rubber accounts for 41.6% of overall domestic consumption, and growers could secure 90-95% of the terminal market share through sheet production.

Source : Global Rubber Market News