The incessant rain that hit the state during July has resulted in the sharpest fall in monthly production of natural rubber during the last four years.
This year, the endless rains led to disruption in rubber tapping for almost six months from February in most parts of the state, the largest producer of natural rubber in the country.
The monthly output showed a drop of 32.4 per cent in July, as production was 46,000 tonnes as against 68,000 tonnes last July, according to the data supplied by the Rubber Board.
During July 2012, natural rubber production had witnessed an increase of 5.52 per cent as compared to the same month of the previous year.
According to figures released by the Rubber Board, production during July 2011 was 64,300 tonnes.
This year, many rubber plantations have suffered heavy damages as hundreds of trees were uprooted in the storm.
In many areas, especially central Kerala, the heavy rain had destroyed the rain guards — plastic sheets attached to the rubber trees to guard against rains.Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki — the heartland of rubber production — had received more than 50 per cent of rain between June and August 14.
“This year, the summer lasted till June and the heavy monsoon started from there.
“The rain was so heavy that many could not even do tapping from June. It resulted in a long gap of normal tapping days,” said M A Augusthy, general manager, Palai Rubber Marketing Society.
Normally, the months from February to April are considered lean as tapping usually comes to an end by the end of January.
However, the heaviest of monsoon in the last two decades that soaked the state following the heavy summer resulted in the low production along with an increase in its price in the local market. The decline in supply resulted in shooting up of prices of RSS-4 grade to `195 a kg in July this year, as against `171 in 2012 in the same month.
Source: newindianexpress.com
