On 3 April 2023, an agreement was signed between Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam (Kerala), under which Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam will conduct experimental rubber cultivation in Bastar on a one-hectare scale to investigate the possibilities of rubber cultivation in Chhattisgarh.
Rubber grows in loamy soil, primarily on slopes and undulated land or slightly elevated level land with no potential of water stagnation and well drainage. Elevation: Rubber plants can be grown effectively up to 450 metres above mean sea level.
According to the agreement, the Rubber Institute would provide plant material, manure-fertilizers, medications, and personnel expenditures to the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University for seven years of experimental production in Bastar.
Indira Gandhi Agricultural University will be in charge of plant management. It will also provide the technical guidance required for rubber growing and extraction processes.
Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam scientists discovered that the soil, climate, and geo-ecology of Bastar, among other variables, are appropriate for rubber cultivation.
They expressed hope that rubber farming would be a success here and that farmers would be able to earn more money. Dr. Ajay Verma, head of extension services at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, and Dr. S.S. Senior scientists from the Rubber Research Institute were also present, in addition to Tuteja.
