Natural rubber production registered a growth of 8.3 per cent and its consumption increased 9 per cent in the 2022-23 fiscal compared with the previous fiscal. The production increased to 8,39,000 tonnes from 7,75,000 tonnes in 2021-22, while consumption rose from 12,38,000 tonnes in 2021-22 to 13,50,000 tonnes in 2022-23.
The Statistics Consultative Panel of the Rubber Board, which includes the representatives of small and large rubber growers, processors, tyre and non-tyre product manufacturers and Rubber Producers’ Societies (RPSs), analysed the performance of Indian and global NR sector in their 21st meeting convened at Kottayam.
The panel meeting discussed the changes in rubber statistics for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 compared to 2022-23.
Total NR demand in the country showed significant growth of 9 per cent during 2022-23 compared with 2021-22. The auto tyre segment consumed 70 per cent of the total NR consumed in the country and registered 4.8 per cent growth in 2022-23 compared with 2021-22. The general rubber products sector registered a positive growth of 20.4 per cent during 2022-23 compared with 2021-22.
Rubber Board’s efforts
India now ranks sixth in the world among major NR rubber-producing countries, accounting for 5.8 per cent of the total world NR production during December 2022. The country continued to occupy the second largest consumer of NR, accounting for 9.3 per cent of global consumption during 2022.
The Rubber Board has taken several efforts to augment NR production. It distributed rain guarding materials through RPSs and the growers rain-guarded the trees and so they could harvest more days in the rainy season.
The Rubber Production Incentive Scheme (RPIS) implemented by the Kerala Government has encouraged farmers to continue tapping efficiently. Control of leaf diseases, adoption of rubber holdings for harvesting and the formation of Rubber Tapper Groups (RTGs) etc. are other reasons for increasing the domestic rubber production.