ITANAGAR, 17 Mar: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has urged the Rubber Board of India (RBI) to revive the rubber plantations in the state in order to boost the economy of the people.
In a meeting with RBI Chairman cum Executive Director Dr KN Raghavan on Wednesday, the DCM said that there is huge potential for rubber cultivations in the state. However, the DCM said, “There is reluctance among the people to grow rubber because of the non-marketing of their product.”
He urged the RBI to made subsidy available to the farmers and increase their activities by conducting workshops in order to restore the lost confidence of the people on rubber cultivation.
“The state has the highest land bank in the North East and has the potential to become the rubber bowl of the NE region,” the DCM said and called upon the RBI to transform Arunachal as a rubber bowl of the region.
Agriculture Minister Tage Taki also urged the board to encourage the farmers of the state to grow rubber crop.
He stated that the rubber plantation has drastically fallen down citing that the agriculture department in the last few years has grown around 1,73,000 rubber saplings, but there were very less takers as most of the people were reluctant to grow the crop.
Advisor to Minister of Agriculture, Gabriel D Wangsu also urged to bring back the interest to grow rubber crop among the people of the state while doing away with various fears associated with it.
Dr Raghavan assured to bring more areas under rubber cultivation in the state and also assured to impart training to the rubber growers and further facilitate marketing of the rubber sheets after harvest. He exuded hope that after a few years, the people will see the benefits coming from the rubber cultivation as industries will also be coming up in the state in the future.
Among others, Joint Rubber Production Commissioner (In charge) Binoy Luckose, Trade & Commerce and Industry Secretary Hage Tari, Trade & Commerce Director Tokong Pertin and Director of Agriculture Anong Lego also attended the meeting. (DCM’s Media Cell)
