Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) will undertake rubber plantation on about two lakh hectares in North East India with a total capital outlay of approximately Rs.1,100 crore. Said to be aimed at countering the plateauing of natural rubber production in the state of Kerala, the five year project was envisaged to commence in June 2021 with nearly 10,000 hectares plantation targeted in the first year. It is in keeping with the consideration of the Covid-19 restrictions and availability of plants said to be limited. ATMA is expected to provide financial support of Rs.50,000 per hectare through means like credit-linked schemes and or direct payment for the planting materials. North East reportedly accounts for 23 per cent of the total rubber production in the country. Kerala with an estimated eight per cent deduction over the last decade accounts for 67 per cent of the total 8.22 lakh hectares of rubber plantation in the country.
