The progressive decline in productivity coupled with soaring wages and low prices for produce have brought the century-old plantation sector in Kerala to its knees.
Struggling to cope with the situation, it now pins hopes on the next government to marshal its focus on bringing the financial health of these plantations back to normalcy and act decisively.
According to Ajith B.K., secretary, Association of Plantations of Kerala, an umbrella organisation of planters of tea, rubber, cardamom and coffee, there is an urgent need for the next government to implement the proposed plantation policy that envisages multi-cropping and inter-cropping without changing the basic structure of these plantations. Unless and until the government brought out changes in the Acts and rules concerning the sector, this would remain a task unaccomplished, he said.
“The recommendations made by the Justice Krishnan Nair Commission such as abolition of plantation tax, seniorage on felled rubber trees and moratorium on the agricultural income tax are yet to become a reality. The plantations in Kerala still remain a high-cost sector compared to its counterparts elsewhere in the country and this issue can be addressed only by implementing the plantation policy,” said Mr. Ajith.
Eco zone notification
Another key area that the new government should focus on will be the Central government’s draft notification on eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) that may cripple the sector. “The draft, which envisages inclusion of the cultivated lands and even human habitations in the ESZ, will make the basic operation of the plantations practically impossible as the Forest Department will invariably come up with unnecessary regulations,” he said.
At the same time, the government may take proactive steps in leveraging the agro-forestry schemes rolled out by the Central government as the plantations provide the perfect avenue for growing valuable timber.
‘Centre ignored’
Pius Scaria Pottankulam, rubber grower and trader in Kottayam, said the successive State governments in Kerala had done their maximum to protect the Natural Rubber Plantation sector from the vagaries of globalisation. The Union government had completely ignored the rubber plantations of Kerala and it was incumbent on the new State government to show the political will to resist this trend, besides coming up with new initiatives.
“The proposed CIAL-model rubber industry park is a welcome initiative, but prior to launching the venture, the government should rope in experts to ensure the cost viability of products coming out of it so as it ensures competition at a global level,” he said.
Job scheme
Mr. Pottankulam also proposed the new government to make efforts to include rubber tapping in the scope of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to overcome the acute labour shortage faced by the sector, while also bringing down the wage component.
“The inclusion of rubber tapping in the employment guarantee programme, coupled with initiatives to mechanise the tapping process will help the beleaguered planters, especially those having fragmented holdings, to continue with rubber for some more time,” he observed.
