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Indraneel Bhowmik
Research Advisor, TRM
Introduction
Natural Rubber (NR) is obtained from the latex of the tree Hevea
Brasilliensis, a tree of Amazonian origin and thrives best in the
tropical region. NR is the most widely used elastomer in the world. It
is used as industrial raw material for almost 50,000 goods. The
demand for NR arises in all the countries and is highly correlated to
the levels of industrialisation and the standard of living. China is the
world’s largest consumer of NR followed by USA and Japan. India is
the fourth largest consumer of NR in the world. NR consumption in
the world has been growing at an average rate of 3 percent during the
period 2000-2005. However, the production of NR is limited to certain
countries owing to the requirement of specific agro-climatic
conditions. The supply of NR in the world market comes mainly from
the South East Asian countries. Thailand is the world’s largest
producer of NR followed by Indonesia and Malaysia. India, similar to
the demand sector holds the fourth rank even in the supply market.
Unlike other major producers of NR, India’s NR production caters to
the domestic market mostly. Kerala and the Kanya Kumari district of
Tamil Nadu comprise the traditional zone of NR production in India
and the history of rubber plantation dates back to the early
nineteenth century. Kerala occupies 84 percent of the total area under
rubber plantation in the country but contributes about 92 percent of
the total production (Rubber Statistics 2005, Rubber Board). In 2004-
05, India had plantations in 578000 hectares and produced 749665
tonnes of NR. But paucity of new land in the traditional zone on one
hand and increasing demand for NR following greater automation and
economic development on the other warrants exploration of new areas
for expansion of rubber plantation. Extension activities of the Rubber
Board had been in vogue since its inception but the major thrust in
expansion began mostly after 1970 and presently rubber plantation in
various dimensions stands in seventeen of the states and Union
Territories of India.
The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning has
identified 450000 hectares of land in the North-eastern region as
suitable for rubber plantation. Thus the non-traditional zone is the
area where lies the potential for expansion of rubber plantations to
avail higher levels of production. The survey suggests that around
100000 hectares of land in Tripura can be utilised for rubber
plantations (Bahuguna, Dr.V.K, Action Plan for Expansion of Rubber
in Tripura, 2005). The Rubber tree in Tripura was introduced by the
state forest department in 1963 in Patichhari as part of afforestation
programme. The Hevea Brasilliensis is known for its huge potential in
generating biomass and provides for a heavy canopy. However, with
Tripura Rubber Mission- Technical Bulletin 1, 2006
Limitations
o The dearth of reliable statistics on tapping area is in itself a
major limitation. Lack of systematic maintenance of data has
been a constraint in computation of data.
o The major part of the study is dependent on information
provided by secondary sources, i.e., different agencies. Field
level testing and primary survey would have been more effective
in identifying the problems.
o The TTADC office could not provide relevant data, so estimation
on total area has been made, and the district and subdivision
classification of area has been done on the basis of whatever
data could be extracted.
Analysis
The Beginning
State Forest Department had introduced rubber trees in as early as
1963 in the form of trial plantations in localities like Patichhari and
Manu along with some other successive exploratory surveys.The
results of the trial plantations were found encouraging and naturally
extension of rubber plantations under government supervision had a
fillip. Being a new commercial crop hitherto unknown in Tripura
rubber was subjected to different tests from within the and outside
the society and was often being misunderstood and rejected. However,
amends were made at the earliest and the importance and the benefits
were realised. It is important to note that the variability in the agro
climatic conditions of Tripura from that of the traditional zone do not
have serious deleterious effect that would hamper the overall growth
and yield of rubber in Tripura. By 1971-72, with the commencement
of tapping and processing, Tripura was on the verge of a new age of
development.
The state government seemed to have a new opportunity in their
hands to usher in greater sources of revenue, income and welfare.
Extension of plantation began at an increasing rate but mostly in the
public sector. A rubber plantation apart from being a source of
revenue also act as an employment-generating source, a means of
resettlement of the landless and in addition fosters soil conservation.
Rubber plantations and cultivation were considered as a viable means
of economic development and the state government formed the
Tripura Rubber Mission- Technical Bulletin 1, 2006
TFDPC 34%
TRPC 15%
TTADC 5%
SDM /SDO 2%
PRIVATE 34%
L.T.V
Khow
2%
7%
Kamlpr Tlmura
3% 1%
Udaipur
Amarpur Belonia
Sabroom Santibazar 6%
3% 6%
7% 10%
The rank analysis of the subdivisions shows that among the top five
subdivisions, three belong to the West Tripura district, while among
the least coverage four subdivisions from the Dhalai district comes in
the bottom five.
Sub Division Total Area Rank
Sadar 3412 3
Bishalgarh 5267 1
Sonamura 2813 4
Khowai 2293 9
Teliamura 459 15
Udaipur 1831 8
Belonia 2009 7
Santibazar 3313 2
Sabroom 2352 6
Amarpur 998 12
Kamalpur 802 13
Ambasa 252 16
L.T.V 738 14
Dharmanagar 1665 10
Kailasahar 2361 5
Kanchanpur 1108 11
Gandacharra 0 17
district, while in the West Tripura district the private sector is the
lead unit while in Dhalai district, the TRPC is the dominant agency.
AGENCIES
TFDPC TRPC JT.RPC SDO TTADC PRIVATE TOTAL
Subdivision
to 1994. The most significant observation during the last 10 years, i.e.
1996-2005, the public sector has taken up the extension activity
during the years of depression. The efforts at rehabilitation of land
less tribals and people from other weaker section have received thrust
under the schemes sponsored by the Department of Rural
Development and the Department of Tribal Welfare.
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
TFDPC TRPC SDM/SDO PRIVATE Jt.RPC TTADC
The average size of units for beneficiaries is 1.25 ha. However, there
are inter-regional variations in the farm size within the state itself. The
West and the South district shows an average farm size of 1.29 ha,
while the Dhalai district has an average farm size of 1.23 ha but the
North Tripura district has only 1.09 ha. Such variation in farm size
will obviously result in differential income. TRPC is the apex agency
for raising rubber plantation in the Dhalai district and the dominance
is exhibited by the fact that 62.76 percent of the plantations have
been raised by it. The year-wise area of rubber plantation under
occupation of different agencies in Tripura shows the declining share
of TFDPC over the years. TFDPC has been the lead agency in Tripura
from the beginning and it was only in 2005 that the private sector has
overtaken them by a small margin, 150 hectares approximately.
Agency
Year TFDPC TRPC SDM/SDOJt. RPC ADC PRIVATE TOTAL
Upto1979 1942.16 23.09 1965.25
1980 2650.28 74.23 2724.51
1981 3368.88 209.75 3578.63
1982 4093.81 559.69 4653.5
1983 4610.06 851.14 5461.2
1984 5281.93 75 1074.91 6431.84
1985 5817.89 152.1 1267.93 7237.92
1986 6721.88 377 1622.25 8721.13
1987 7672.68 721.7 1786.110180.48
1988 8150.05 990.6 2031.9711172.62
1989 9035.61 1356.3 2345.2412737.15
1990 9124.01 1439.4 2604.29 13167.7
1991 9255.51 1470.35 2844.2913570.15
1992 9386.16 1653.05 122.22 3149.3214310.75
1993 9510.01 1776.85 389.77 3470.6315147.26
1994 9647.11 1990.05 579.03 3951.1816167.37
1995 9915.09 2171.07 978.47 4753.3617817.99
1996 10004.89 2262.09 35.46 1131.07 5718.2819151.79
1997 10063.95 2473.42 35.46 1387.68 165 6755.520881.01
1998 10091.95 2536.34 93.84 1837.56 906 7467.1322932.82
1999 10145.45 2717.99 135.09 2008.73 1246 7899.224152.46
2000 10285.45 2992.39 244.43 2154.42 1246 8482.4725405.16
2001 10315.45 3367.72 281.45 2556.89 1321 8997.3726839.88
2002 10456.1 3674.71 338.93 2667.09 1321 9258.8627716.69
2003 10620.9 4079.32 439.68 2781.85 1521 9582.4329025.18
2004 10720.15 4329.13 496.52 2958.04 1521 10198.26 30223.1
2005 10744.3 4696.75 541.25 3090.07 1521 11079.8231673.19
Source- Computed
Tripura Rubber Mission- Technical Bulletin 1, 2006
Growth Profile
Tripura we know over the years have emerged as the 2nd largest state
under rubber plantation in the country and also leads among the
Northeastern states. The growth in area has been achieved by all the
agencies that raise plantations.
Table- Trend growth rate of area under rubber in Tripura
Period TFDPC TRPC SDM/SDO Jt. RPC TTADC Private Total
1980-2005 4.5 15.32* 38.40** 22.12*** 19.91*^ 16.18 8.82
1981-1990 11.95 66.09* 26.37 15.57
1991-2000 1.17 7.77 68.17** 37.38*** 89.34*^ 14.22 6.97
2001-2005 1.07 8.65 18.41 4.94 4.32 5.37 4.29
Notes- ‘*’ indicates series beginning from 1984, ‘**’ indicates series beginning from 1996 &
‘***’ indicates series beginning from 1992,’*^’ indicates series beginning from 1997
We find the linear equation Yt= a + b (t), where ‘Y’ is total area and ‘t’ is
time being the best fit to describe the growth process of area under
rubber in the state
35000
y = 1149.5x - 424.21
30000 2
R = 0.9912
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
9
81
83
85
87
89
91
93
95
97
99
01
03
05
97
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
o1
pt
U
Agency Growth
The slowdown has been the maximum for TFDPC, owing to its
reduced role in the resettlement programmes of the state government.
Also added to it is the shortage of available land for TFDPC to expand
its own capacity. The slow down in the growth rate in the area under
TFDPC is well evident in the above diagram as we find a break since
1989. The logarithmic equation Y= a + b {ln (t)} is a better fit then the
linear model as the value of R2 depicts.
14000
12000
10000 R2 = 0.956
8000 2
6000 R = 0.8371
4000
2000
0
9
81
83
85
87
89
91
93
95
97
99
01
03
05
97
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
t o1
Up
Notes- ‘blue’ – actual, ‘white’ – logarithmic trend & ‘green’ - linear trend.
5000
4000
R2 = 0.9766
3000
2000
1000
0
81
83
85
87
89
91
93
95
97
99
9
97
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
to 1
Up
Rubber plantations have two distinct stages in its economic life- the
immature phase and the mature phase. Production is the parameter
used for this distinction. The gestation period for a rubber tree is 7
years. The tree is ready for tapping at reaching the desired girth level.
The first phase is the age of all expenses and no return, while the
second phase has both expenditures and income. Naturally, this
Tripura Rubber Mission- Technical Bulletin 1, 2006