The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd has urged the Karnataka government to establish a Minimum Support Price (MSP) program for rubber farmers in the state, similar to the initiative provided to rubber growers in Kerala.
In a letter addressed to Karnataka's Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, Kishore Kumar Kodgi, the President of Campco, highlighted the challenges faced by rubber growers in Karnataka due to a significant drop in rubber prices.
Karnataka boasts nearly 60,000 rubber growers spread across districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Chikmagaluru, Hassan, and Mysuru. These growers cultivate rubber on approximately 55,000 hectares of land, contributing to the state's production of around 40,000 tonnes of natural rubber.
Kodgi emphasized that the price of natural rubber has plummeted from Rs 242 per kilogram in 2011 to Rs 140 per kilogram in 2023. He appealed to the Karnataka government to support the state's rubber growers during this challenging period.
Drawing parallels with the scheme in Kerala, Kodgi requested, "It is requested that the Government of Karnataka extend MSP for the rubber growers of the state on the lines of the scheme extended to the rubber growers in the neighbouring state of Kerala.
In Kerala's 'Rubber Production Incentive Scheme,' a minimum price of Rs 170 per kilogram is guaranteed for RSS IV and RSS V grades of rubber. The difference between the support price and the daily reference price approved by the Rubber Board is directly credited to the bank accounts of the farmers, based on purchase bills furnished by the rubber producers' societies and certified by the Rubber Board's field officers. This scheme is designed to enhance the market price of rubber.
Kodgi concluded the letter by saying, "Hence, we request your good offices to extend the minimum support price to the rubber growers of Karnataka on the lines of the scheme extended by the Government of Kerala and protect the interests of the rubber growers in the state of Karnataka." Campco's appeal aims to provide relief to the struggling rubber farming community in Karnataka by implementing a supportive MSP program akin to Kerala's successful model.
