KOTTAYAM(Commodity Online): The India Government has been urged to put curbs on natural rubber import. In a letter to the Government, CPI(M) MP K N Balagopal, who is also a member of the Rubber Board, said the slump in rubber prices was caused by unrestrained rubber imports.
He said: “The prices of natural rubber have reached the lowest point now. The free fall in prices, thanks to the high volumes of import, is still continuing and pushing the rubber farmers into a deep financial crisis. If this trend is allowed to continue, it may lead to farmer suicides and a majority of them will be alienated from rubber cultivation.”
He said Government could curb the import by resorting to measures like anti-dumping and other safeguards. “When such an option is well before us, the Government should go for it and control the import,” he said.
The data from Rubber Board shows that India’s NR imports are at 325,190 tonnes in 2013-2014 as against 217,364 tonne in 2012-2013. In 2010-2011 the imports stood at 190,692 tonne and it was 213,785 tonne in 2011-2012.
– Commodity Online
