The Commerce Ministry’s stance that natural rubber being a commercial crop could not be considered for a minimum support price has invited the wrath of growers.

PC Cyriac, President, Indian Farmers Movement, termed remarks by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in this regard in the Lok Sabha as denoting a “step-motherly attitude”, when cotton growers enjoy similar benefits. “When the Centre had spent ₹17,000 crore last year for cotton procurement at support price through the Cotton Corporation of India, why is there a step-motherly attitude by the same government towards rubber growers,” he asked. The Minister’s clarification comes in the wake of a question raised by Mullappally Ramachandran on any special package sought by the Kerala government for reviving the rubber market. Besides, she added that the price support of ₹50/kg involves cash subvention of large amounts at the current level of production for which adequate financial resources are currently not available.

The Minister made the remarks while rejecting the Kerala government’s request to sanction ₹500 crore for rubber. The government had introduced the fund in 2003 following a crash in the prices of commodities such as rubber, tea and coffee.

Cyriac, who is also the former Rubber Board Chairman, said that the government had earlier consistently entered the market whenever prices crashed and procured rubber from growers at the MSP. However, the Minister may argue that previously it was a different government and the present government’s policy is not to give MSP for commercial crops. “If that is so, how did the government enter the market last year to procure cotton, which is also a commercial crop, from cotton growers at support price,” he asked.

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