Rubber
Rubber is not just a crop — it is the lifeblood of the tyre and automobile industry and a key industrial raw material. Though native to the equatorial belt, it has found a significant home in southern India.
Rubber is extracted from the latex of the tropical tree Hevea brasiliensis, which is:
- A tall, fast-growing tree (20–30 m)
- Begins yielding latex in 5–7 years
- Cultivated through plantation agriculture
Remember: Rubber is a non-edible industrial crop, not a food crop.
☀️🌧️ Conditions for Growth
Rubber has very specific agro-climatic needs:
| Factor | Ideal Condition |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 25°C to 35°C |
| Rainfall | Over 200 cm/year, well-distributed |
| Humidity | High humidity is essential |
| Soil | Deep, well-drained loamy soil |
| Altitude | Ideally 300–450 m above sea level |
Above 700 m, yields decline due to cooler temperatures and less mature soils.
Rubber is a moisture-loving crop but cannot tolerate waterlogging. Hence, it is grown on gently sloping hill areas — not too high, not too flat.
🧭 India: Production and Distribution
| Region | Contribution & Notes |
|---|---|
| Kerala | Around 70% of India’s rubber |
| Tamil Nadu | Small patches in southern districts |
| Karnataka | Western Ghats region |
| North-East | Tripura, Meghalaya (Garo Hills) – emerging regions |
| A&N Islands | Limited plantations |
- First rubber plantations started in Kerala (1895).
🌐 Global Context
India is not the top player globally. Leading natural rubber producers are:
- 🇹🇭 Thailand – the largest producer
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia
- 🇻🇳 Vietnam
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia (historically significant, now declining)
These countries have ideal climatic conditions, cheaper labour, and state support – giving them a natural advantage over India.
👨🌾 Ownership & Productivity
- 88% of India’s rubber comes from small holdings, not large estates.
- Interestingly, smallholders are more productive than big plantations — possibly due to careful management, intensive labour, and closer attention to quality.
📉 Problems of Rubber Industry in India
Like many plantation sectors, the rubber industry faces serious structural and global challenges:
1. Falling Productivity
- Soil fatigue, ageing trees, and poor management reduce latex yield per hectare.
2. Unremunerative Prices
- International prices have dropped, but labour costs in India have increased, squeezing small farmers.
3. Trade Agreements (FTAs)
- Cheaper rubber imports, especially from ASEAN countries, due to free trade agreements, flood the Indian market and hurt domestic producers.
4. Tyre Industry vs Growers
- Tyre companies push for cheap raw material via imports.
- Farmers demand MSP or protective duties — a classic conflict of interest.
