Kerala turns to rubber for better farm returns, switches from arecanut, coconut

By: PK Krishnakumar

KOCHI: Kerala's quest for better farm returns has led to a switch from arecanut and coconut to rubber at the expense of one of the southern state's big, if not regal, icons - elephants.

A decline in arecanut and coconut trees has led to a shortage of fresh palm fronds, a staple for elephants. Kerala perhaps has the largest number of captive elephants in India.

Rubber acreage is increasing in Kerala - home to 90% of rubber produced in the country - replacing arecanut, cashew and coconut farms particularly in the northern parts of the state. Maybe rubber is the only crop in the state which is witnessing a natural rise in cultivation at a time when many crops are showing a decline or stagnancy in acreage.

Elephant Owners Federation president Sasikumar said an elephant needs around 600 to 700 kg of palm fronds on an average, which comes from Malappuram and Kannur districts.

"Availability has come down. These are not cultivated and nor do they serve any other purpose. Once the fronds are cut, people prefer crops which bring in steady income," he said.

Here rubber seems to be the first choice. "Growers have not suffered loss cultivating rubber. Margins may have fallen occasionally the way they did last year but it has not burdened farmers with a loss unlike other crops," said Rubber Production Commissioner Dr J Thomas.

Rubber prices have gone up steadily in the last decade. From 30.36 per kg in 2000-01, the price topped 200 per kg in 2011-12. Acreage in the state has been increasing annually with the addition of 5,000 to 7,000 hectare and touched 5,39,965 hectare in 2011-12, Thomas said.

This represents over 75% of total rubber area in the country but the increase has not entirely translated into production because it normally takes around seven years for a rubber tree to reach tapping stage.

Since the southern districts are already saturated, the latest expansion is happening mostly in northern districts from Malappuram to Kasargod.

The chief casualty has been arecanut. Fluctuating prices and diseases have been worrying arecanut farmers in Kerala, which is the second largest producer after Karnataka.

According to the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, the area under arecanut cultivation in Kerala has fallen from 1.04 lakh hectare in 2011-12 to 96,300 hectare in 2012-13.