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Aravindan

KOTTAYAM, March 25

THE rubber plantation industry has entered a new phase from April last year and the international market has been opened for the rubber growers in India, according to Mr L.V. Saptharishi, Additional Secretary, Union Commerce Ministry.

The industry should rise up to the occasion and utilise the opportunity to the maximum, he told a group of processors, block rubber manufacturers and representatives of model rubber producer's societies at the Rubber Research Institute of India here on Sunday.

Mr Saptharishi emphasised the need for better exploitation of the trees up to the international standards. In the areas of quality, packing and price, India should become competitive and enter into long-term agreements for permanent supply of rubber to the international market. It would be difficult to get customers in the international market if India tried to export rubber when its availability was high in the country, he said.

There should be a permanent set up to export rubber in large quantities. For this, the processing factories should be modernised enhancing its productive efficiency.

At the international level, block rubber could get maximum market. Block rubber formed 90 per cent of the total export of Malaysia while the share of sheet rubber was only 1 per cent.

If India could ensure quality and regular supply at competitive prices, Goodyear of the US had assured that it would purchase any quantity from here, Mr Saptharishi said.

The annual requirement of Goodyear is equivalent to that of the country's rubber production for two years.

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