There have been reports that rubber
growers do not get good market rate for their rubber products. Of course,
reason for not getting the rate at par with the national level or as the case
may be many. But one really felt need is a regulated system for stabilizing the
rate of natural rubber in local condition.
And, this need has
been realized and taken care of by the concerned body. It is learnt that Rubber Board of India is looking into
the interest of the rubber growers by forming its own subsidiaries or mechanism
for safeguarding the benefit of the rubber growers in the country.
In Tripura also followings board control
bodies are working for the benefit of rubber growers of the state. The
followings organizations are in fact working for the benefit of the growers in
the state.
1.
Tripura Latex Private Limited
2.
Manimalayar
Tripura Latex
Private limited is said to have come into existence very recently with the
objective to set up latex processing plants and stabilizing the market rate of
rubber product i.e. latex in the state. So far information available, latex
processing plant is yet to come up in the state.
Presently, Tripura
Latex Private limited is ensuring the rubber growers get good market price for
sale of their rubber latex.
What they do is
helping the rubber growers to sale their rubber latex to the designated firm by
channeling the natural rubber latex from the rubber growers to the Firm.
Tripura Latex Private limited has devised process for
collecting and channeling of rubber latex to the designated Firm.
The process is latex is collected through
different Rubber Producer Society(RPS) or Block plantation which in turn is
channelized to the D.S.Group, Tripura (Dharam Pal and Satya Pal Group).
The Group in turn
is offering the standard rate to the rubber growers as per terms and conditions
between the Tripura Latex Private
Limited and D.S.Group.
The mechanism is
latex is collected in RPS (Rubber
Producer Society) or Block
plantation centre from the RPS
(Rubber Producer Society) members or Block plantation members.
The collected latex
is treated with ammonia and LATZ in
standard ratio of rubber latex, ammonia and LATZ.
Tripura Latex
Private Limited collects the pre-treated rubber latex from different Rubber
producer Society or block plantations and said latex is supplied to the D.S.
Group.
D.S.Group pays to
the growers through the Tripura Latex Private Limited as per standard rate in
conformity national standard as per agreement between two companies i.e. D.S.Group
and Tripura Latex Private Limited.
Not let us see how
the rate is determined:
Rate of rubber
latex in national level on particular
day: Latex-60=161.00 per kilogram.
Latex-60 means, 1(one) kilogram of natural rubber
latex whose DRC is 60%.
1 Kilogram of
rubber latex with 60% DRC means, 1 Kilogram of rubber latex is containing 600
grams of dry matter or dry rubber content.
To obtain 1000 grams or 1 Kilogram
of dry rubber, total 1.67 Kilograms of latex is required (1000÷600=1.67Kgs), if
DRC content of the latex is 60%.
Now, if the price
of Latex-60 is Rs.161.00 per Kilogram
then the price of 1.67 Kilograms of
rubber latex will be 268.87(Rs.161.00 X 1.67 Kg = Rs.268.87). Daily
rate in national level can be accessed by anybody through SMS or paid call.
Now, of course, in
normal course, DRC of rubber latex will not be 60% unless processed and
centrifuged.
In the normal
course, DRC of rubber latex is said
to be within 25% to 35% or to a maximum of 40%therefore, total requirement of
rubber latex for getting 1 Kg of dry rubber will vary differently on DRC.
Now, if DRC of local latex is 30% then 1 Kg of rubber
latex will only contain 300 grams of Dry rubber.
So, 1000 grams or 1
Kilogram of dry rubber would require = 1000÷300
= 3.33 Kilogram of rubber latex.
Means, 3.33 Kilogram rubber latex = 1 Kilogram
dry rubber if DRC of the rubber latex is 30%.
Now, therefore, the
rate of 3.33Kg rubber latex will be
as follows:-
= 3.33
Kilogram of latex X per Kilogram of
latex
= 3.33 Kilograms X Rs.80.50 (if latex with 60% DRC=161.00 per Kilogram in Kottayam
market).
= Rs.268.00
Now question may
come what is the benefit that Tripura Rubber Latex Private Limited, D.S.Group and
RPS get by giving this service to rubber growers?
Yes, they get
something in return; Tripura Latex Private Limited Company gets commission of Rs. 3.00 per Kilogram of latex from the
rubber grower who sale through the company.
The Firm i.e. D.S.Group gets Rs. 30.00 per Kilogram of latex from
the sellers i.e. rubber growers as processing fee.
And, concerned RPS
gets 3.00 to 4.00 per Kilogram from
the RPS member for using the service of RPS.
Let us see how much
a grower is to get per Kilogram latex which is equivalent to 1 Kilogram of dry
rubber (if Latex (60% DRC) is Rs. 161 per Kilogram of natural rubber latex).
1. AS PER STANDARD RATE FOR PROCESSED LATEX
When the rate of Latex (60% DRC) is Rs. 161 per
Kilogram
a. To get 1
Kilogram of Dry rubber, latex requirement is 1.67Kilograms of latex
b. That means,
price of 1.67 Kg of latex is 1.67 x 161 = 268.87
c. Deduction: Processing fee
(D.S.Group) (-) 30.00
Commission (Tripura Latex)
(-) 3.00
Commission (RPS) (-) 3.00
232.87
2. AS PER STANDARD RATE FOR NON-PROCESSED LATEX
When the rate of Latex (30% DRC) = Rs. 80.50 per
Kilogram
a. To get 1
Kilogram of Dry rubber, latex requirement is 3.33 Kilograms of latex
b. That means price
of 3.33 Kg of latex is 3.33 x 80.50 = 268.00
c. Deduction: Processing fee
(D.S.Group) (-) 30.00
Commission (Tripura Latex) (-) 3.00
Commission (RPS)
(-) 3.00
232.00
It is really very
good price, rubber grower is getting with only little alteration in the present
way of marketing of his rubber product.
It may also apparently
seem that a considerable sum of money is being deducted in the whole process
from the rubber growers in the name of selling the product to the company.
Is it not loss to
the growers? The fact of the matter is even after deduction of commission and
processing fee of Rs. 36(3+30+3), growers is still getting
lucrative rate for his product in the local condition.
Here, rubber grower
is getting Rs.232.00 after deduction
all commissions or fees for 3.33 Kilograms of rubber latex with 30% DRC i.e. Rs.80.50 per Kilogram of rubber latex.
But, if rubber
grower decides to sale the dry rubber sheet then he would have got Rs.170.00 (price may vary) per Kilogram
of rubber latex which is quite low compare to what he would have got by selling
the rubber latex.
And, in this case,
per Kilogram of rubber latex with 30% DRC is Rs.51.00 (Rs.170.00 ÷ 3.33 Kilograms of latex) which is also quite low compare to what rubber
grower would have got by selling latex.
However, what I
have seen from my little experience is many rubber growers are still not aware
of this service that is available in the state.
Here what is
observable is; although, mechanisms are available to safe guard the interest of
small rubber growers but their use is yet to reach in mass level.
This is because all
these holistic approach are yet to be known by most growers therefore, they are
yet to be fully realized by the rubber growers of the state.
The reason is
unawareness or apprehension (to a certain extent) of rubber growers for taking
these benefits.
It may therefore be
said that certain concerted efforts as mentioned below may bring positive
changes in the mindset of the rubber growers’
of the state.
These efforts if successfully
realized then it will not only benefit the growers’ community but also the
state’s economy:-
1. An effective Rubber Producer Society
2. Awareness campaign for disseminating the new service
for the benefit of rubber grower.
3. Training to the rubber growers for maintains quality
parameter.
4. Bringing all non-RPS members to register with RPS
N: B: For specific recommendation or
suggestion, expert may be consulted. Reference for Rate of Latex-60% was taken
in one particular day in Kottayam market which may vary now. Names like Rubber
Board of India, Tripura Latex and DS Group have been taken with due care and
importance.