Rubber Board turns to job scheme to raise output

NEW DELHI: The state-run Rubber Board is turning to government's rural employment guarantee scheme to increase India's natural rubber output from the present 9 million tonne a year. It has identified 4,00,000 hectares in the Northeast, 1,00,000 hectares in Odisha and 50,000 hectares each in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as areas with potential for natural rubber cultivation.

The board, which operates rubber plantation development and rubber development schemes in Northeast, is facing shortage of funds and labour. To address these issues, the commerce ministry has reached out to the rural development ministry to work out a plan to use the rural job scheme for rubber cultivation.