AGARTALA, March 4 (TIWN): Tripura has produced a total of 39, 747 metric ton of rubber during the Financial Year (FY) 2013-14, said Minister of industry and commerce Tapan Chakraborty said during the recent ongoing assembly session. Adding to that he said while during the FY 2012-13 a total of 37, 277 metric ton of rubber has been produced in the state. In 2010-2011, about 11,673 hec. Was under natural rubber plantation in the state. Total rubber production in the TFDPC estate was 1595 mt. and total value of rubber production was Rs. 41.22 crore in 2011-2012.

Talking on rubber production of the state Minister Tapan Chakraborty recently on the on-going budget session stated that during the FY 2012-13 total value of rubber production was Rs. 596 crore, while during the FY 2013-14 it was Rs. 620 crore. And in regard export business of the rubber Chakraborty said that during the FY 2012-13 Rs. 530 crore of rubber has been exported abroad, while on FY 2013-14 Rs. 558 crore of rubber exported from the state.

However it is to be mentioned here that the raw rubber now produced is being sent out of the state to neighboring states for further value addition. Several industries have been set up in Tripura which utilize about 27% of available raw latex from TFDPC and convert to value added finished products ushering in an era of industrial revolution in the state.

During the year 2013 Tripura registered a much lower productivity in per hectare of land of rubber this time, even in terms of national average, despite being the second largest natural rubber producer in the country. The Rubber Board of India (RBI) blamed aged plantation, unskilled tapers and poor quality of planting materials for the low productivity in Tripura and suggested fast re-plantation in government-run rubber estates. 

Rubber cultivation in Tripura is yielding a better life for the tribal poor, who earlier practiced jhum cultivation, and is also contributing Rs 600 crore to the state's economy.

India's northeastern states are categorized as non-traditional areas for rubber cultivation. About 103,500 hectares of land is under rubber cultivation in northeastern states, including Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland. The region produces 46,000 tons of rubber annually. The Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India has identified 450,000 hectares of land suitable for rubber cultivation in the region. India has 600,000 hectares of land under rubber plantations, producing about 750,000 tones of rubber annually. Tripura is the second largest rubber producer in India after Kerala with 72,000 hectares of land under plantation, producing 40,000 tones of rubber annually. Tripura's annual turnover from rubber cultivation is about Rs.480 crore.