Agartala, Nov 14, 2022, IANS

Agartala, Nov 14 (IANS): Tripura, which is the second largest natural rubber producing state in the country after Kerala, has exported 14,550 kg of natural rubber to Nepal, Rubber Board officials said on Sunday.

The Manimalayar Rubbers Pvt Ltd, promoted by the Rubber Board, had exported 18 tonne natural rubber (sheet rubber) to Nepal in 2020 and a similar quantity to Bangladesh in 2000 from Tripura.

General Manager of the Manimalayar Rubbers, Arunabha Majumdar, said that 14,550 kg rubber latex (Cenex) valued at Rs 12.42 lakh produced in Tripura was exported to Kathmandu for shoe manufacturing.

"The rubber consignment was ferred to Nepal on Friday by road through the Raxaul-Birgunj border route," Majumdar told IANS, adding that the consignment is likely to reach its destination in a week through the Bihar-Nepal border.

Manimalayar Rubbers, which has branch offices in Guwahati, Silchar and Tura in Meghalaya, has been extending marketing support to the producers since 1997.

At present, Tripura is cultivating natural rubber on 89,264 hectares of land, annually producing 93,371 tonnes of rubber worth Rs 1,691 crore.

About two lakh families, including tribals, are directly or indirectly associated with rubber cultivation in Tripura.

According to the officials of the Tripura Industries and Commerce department, more than 95 per cent of the total rubber produced is sent outside the state, earning nearly Rs 1,700 crore annually as the state has no rubber-based industries.

A Rubber Board official said the seven northeastern states cultivating rubber over 1,90,000 hectares annually produce 1,11,700 tonnes natural rubber.

According to the Board officials, after Tripura, Assam is cultivating natural rubber in 58,000 hectare area and produces 31,000 tonnes rubber annually, followed by Meghalaya with 17,000 hectares and 9,500 tonnes, Nagaland's 15,000 hectares and 6,100 tonnes and Manipur's 4,200 hectares producing 2,000 tonnes.

Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh also cultivate natural rubber in 4,070 hectares and 5,820 hectares land and produce 1,175 tonnes and 880 tonnes, respectively.