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Rubber growers affected by rise in imports: Sitharaman

The union minister also said that due to unavailability of real time data on export and import of rubber and other agriculture commodities, the government is not able to take concrete steps to help the farmers.

“There is absolute no real time data in India on commodities which (are) exported from India... I was astonished that if I were to go back to provide some kind of a relief to the small rubber growers who are really under depressed price environment (how could I do it without adequate data),” Sitharaman said.

“They are not able to get the right price for their produce... Today we are in a situation where state like Kerala, which are really affected because small growers are not getting enough money to meet cost of production,” the union minister said while speaking at a function organised by Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).

The minister further said, “Unfortunately because you also have a free import policy, a lot of rubber comes into this country... and much more rubber comes than what is actually required and as a result we do not know where this excess rubber which comes into the country goes...that import has affected the price and as a result today the small rubber growers are in a desperation.”

On the occasion, Surajit Mitra, the vice-chancellor and director of IIFT, said, “The central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking milestone decision on policy matters which will give a fillip to foreign trade.” Mitra also noted that IIFT will bring out the deliberations of the EIITF conference in the form of a book in order to facilitate incorporation of contemporary research in policy making.

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