Kottayam, Aug. 15:

While there is acute shortage for sheet rubber in the market, rubber latex stocks that can help produce 13,000 tonnes of sheet rubber, are lying unsold due to fall in prices, according to Mr George Waly, President of the Indian Rubber Dealers’ Federation.

At a time when the domestic price is ruling Rs 16 above the international price, tyre manufacturers are trying for large-scale import of rubber on the ground that rubber is not available in the domestic market. It would adversely affect the entire rubber growers in the country, he pointed out.

Global demand

Due to poor global demand and diversion of many growers to latex marketing, the latex factories now functioning in the State are undergoing a crisis, resulting in shortage of sheet rubber. If the rubber growers concentrate more on sheet production, it would help them to keep the stock for long and encash them when the price rules high.

To alleviate the grievances of the rubber growers who sell the latex, the rubber dealers of the village marketing centres have already started procuring latex for processing and preparing grade sheets. To overcome the present situation, the Rubber Board Chairman had assured all help, Mr Waly said.

Taken from Business Line

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