Rubber Cultivation in India

• Context (DTE): Converting rainforests into rubber plantations drastically alters soil’s physical and chemical properties.

About Rubber Plant

• Natural Rubber is a native of the Amazon basin, which was introduced to countries in the tropical belts of Asia and Africa in the late 19^th century.
• It is primarily an equatorial crop but can also be grown in tropical and subtropical regions.
• Rubber is harvested from the latex of trees, with Hevea brasiliensis being the most common source.
• It is an industrial raw material, with a major portion used in manufacturing automobile tires.

Requirements for Rubber Plant Cultivation

• Requires moist and humid climate.
• Rainfall: More than 200 cm per year.
• Soil Type: Well-drained loamy soils
• Temperature: Above 25°C
• Elevations between 300 to 450 meters above sea level on hill slopes. Yields tend to decline at higher elevations due to lower temperatures and less mature soils.

Production and Distribution

• First rubber plantations in India were established in Kerala in 1895.
• India is the third-largest producer and the fourth-largest consumer of natural rubber globally.
• Kerala accounts for 90% of India’s rubber production.
• Other producing states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tripura & Garo hills of Meghalaya.
• Smallholdings dominate rubber cultivation accounting for 88% of the area and production.

Rubber Board of India

• The Rubber Board is a statutory body established by the GoI under the Rubber Act 1947.
• It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Head office: Kottayam, Kerala.