Tripura Industries and Commerce department and Tripura Industrial Development Corporation Limited in association with the Rubber Board organised a workshop in Agartala on Thursday.
The workshop focussed on quality improvement in latex collection and as well as producing high-quality rubber sheet to ensure maximum profit for rubber growers.
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Deputy chief minister Jishnu Deb Barma in presence of chief secretary U Venkateswarlu, chairman of TIDC Tinku Roy and high officials of Rubber Board beside hundreds of rubber cultivators, workers and various stakeholders inaugurated the workshop ‘Rubber Production and Commercial Utilization’ at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala.
The deputy chief minister said that the concerned department in association with the bank and rubber board is contemplating to set up modern rubber processing centres.
He also said smokehouse and skill development of the tappers and workers at the processing centre in the State are in place to encourage the rubber growers towards quality rubber production which can fetch a better return to the cultivation and thus encourage them.
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He added that rubber played a vital role in the development of socio-economy of the state especially the tribal section people and so the state government is emphasizing on it.
Meantime, the chairman of TIDC Tinku Roy emphasized on re-operationalizing of various rubber-based industries in the State besides attracting investment in the sector through various schemes.
Stakeholders were demonstrated to adopt the Kerala method to boost rubber production in Tripura which is the second-largest rubber producer in India after Kerala.
With 85,000 hectares of land under plantation, producing 74,000 tonnes of rubber annually, Tripura is doing well in the industry.
During the workshop, bank loans and certificate of completion of skill development training was distributed among the cultivators and workers engaged in rubber tapping and processing.
It is estimated that with the proper establishment of scientific processing centres stakeholders associated with rubber cultivation can increase natural rubber production by at least 30 per cent.
Mohan Kumar, general manager (operation) of Malaya Group of Companies expressed that the present rubber produced in Tripura is not much used in tyre making as the quality is not up to the mark.
He said hence the quality can be improved it will not only have better utilization and return but also help in reducing the import of rubber to India from outside.
The rubber growers who took part in the workshop thanked the organizers and expressed that they shall be benefited by such workshop by not only increasing their latex production but also improving the quality of rubber sheets they produce.
They also said it will enhance the market price as well as enhancing their income for better livelihood generation.