Rubber Cultivation in India’s North Eastern Region

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim comprise India’s North Eastern Region (NER), which has a geographical area of 2,55,083 sq. kms and a population of 3,84,95,089 (2001 Census). Thus the NER constitutes nearly 7.76 per cent of the total land area of India and houses roughly 3.75 per cent of India ’s total population. About 70 per cent of the region is hilly. NER is connected with the rest of India through a narrow corridor in North Bengal , having an approximate width of 32 kms on the eastern side and 21 kms on the western side. This corridor is popularly known as “Siliguri Neck” or the “Chicken Neck”. NER shares only 2 per cent of its border with the mainland of the country and the rest 98 per cent forms India ’s international border. This is of strategic importance for India .

The NER has vast resources, numerous and varied flora and fauna, but does not have the right environment for utilization of its resources and potential. Apart from geographical isolation, it is deficient in economic infrastructure of roads, railways, power supply, irrigation and communication. The recurring socio-political unrests have further hampered the climate for developmental activities.

Efficient utilisation of resource endowments, particularly commercial crops, holds out promise for transforming the NER.

Rubber Cultivation

Being one of the fastest growing consumer markets for natural rubber, India will end up being a major importer of the commodity if domestic production of rubber is not increased. At present, rubber imports is around 45,000 tonnes per annum and with the kind of explosion in the automobile industry that is occurring in India , the country's import dependence on rubber would soon escalate.

With limits to the growth of rubber in traditional areas in the hinterlands of the south-west coast comprising Kerala and the adjoining Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, the Rubber Board should actively take up the cultivation of the commercial crop on a larger scale in non-traditional areas. Non-traditional areas so far identified as almost fully or marginally suitable for rubber cultivation are Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Manipur, lower reaches of hills of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Rubber trees require deep & well drained soil of lateritic type. It also requires humid, equable climate (21 to 35°C) and fairly well distributed annual rainfall of 200 cm for optimum growth. Although the North Eastern Region lies far outside the traditional rubber growing zone, the agro-climatic conditions obtained here are unique in as much as near tropical features are experienced in most parts owing to low elevations, exposure to monsoons and other moderating influences.

In its effort to find suitable perennial cash crops of non-perishable nature for growing on the hill slopes which are unsuitable for permanent agricultural use, but too good to be put under forest, the Soil Conservation Department tried rubber cultivation in the late 50s. Due to the positive results obtained from trial plantations undertaken in early 1960s in the then undivided Assam (in some selected centres in Mikir and Garo Hills) and Tripura, commercial scale plantations were raised by Government Forest and Soil Conservation Departments. Public Sector Corporations set up later joined rubber planting endeavours on extensive scales. Thus while in Assam and Tripura, Public Sector Corporations are leading in the rubber plantation sector, in Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh the role has been played by the State Forest and Soil Conservation Departments. Individual growers are also contributing to fast growth of rubber cultivation in this region.

Rubber has been identified as one of the thrust areas in Tripura, in view of its suitability to the terrain and the acceptability amongst the people. Studies have shown that about 100,000 hectares of area in the state can be brought under rubber plantation. The area under rubber cultivation at present is estimated to be about 26,500 hectares, which is the second largest, after Kerala. The yield per hectare and the quality of rubber are also comparable to Kerala's plantations. In fact, Tripura is now considered the "Second Rubber Capital of India" by the Rubber Board.

Nine per cent of the country's rubber production comes from the North-East India and above 82 per cent from Kerala, where the limits of area expansion have been reached and further expansion has to come from productivity enhancement.

Benefits: Rubber has huge potential to transform the region economically by generating employment and earning revenue. The availability of good quantity of high quality rubber offers ample scope for setting up of rubber-based industries. Moreover, rubber cultivation, which has already attracted large-scale participation of tribal population, is proving to be an effective means of weaning away the ‘jhum’ cultivation. The abandoned jhum/degraded land can be put to productive use. Rubber plantation is also environment-friendly.

Rubber is a major thrust area for the geographical belt in the 11th Plan (2007-12). With immense possibilities to increase the area under rubber in Tripura and Assam , the States could also benefit greatly from setting up downstream (processing) industries.

Extent of Rubber Cultivation & Production of Raw or Crude Rubber in the North East (1996-1997):

State Extent under Rubber (Ha) Production (in ’000 kgs)

1. Arunachal Pradesh 101.00 18.000

2. Assam 10,179.00 507.000

3. Manipur 1,400.00 112.000

4. Meghalaya 4,105.00 106.000

5. Mizoram 913.00 18.000

6. Nagaland 1,523.00 17.000

7. Tripura 20,761.00 3,350.000

Total 38,982.00 4,128.000

Source: Rubber Board, Guwahati

Potential: The Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh said a study by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) citing an earlier study by the Rubber Board put the total potential area available for rubber cultivation in the North East at about 5,00,000 hectares including 50,000 ha in northern West Bengal. This is a considerably large area, given the fact that at present the total area under rubber in the country is only a little less than 600,000 ha. Out of the five lakh ha of potential area as rubber-worthy in the North-East, only one lakh ha is in Tripura and based on the latest statistics, 31.2 per cent of the potential area available in Tripura had already been brought under rubber cultivation. In the rest of North-East, only six per cent of the potential area has been cultivated so far. In Assam , where 200,000 ha is rubber worthy, just 7 per cent of the potential area has been brought under cultivation.

Mr Ramesh said the presence of suitable land in such large tracts and other natural factors such as good rainfall and abundant sunlight and manpower at an affordable cost meant that these favourable factors would hold the potential to put rubber cultivation in the North -East at a definite competitive cost advantage.

Problems:The RRII study said non-availability of agricultural chemicals and fertilisers remain a major problem in this part and lack of availability of skilled tapers and periodic monitoring of quality of tapping are the constraints. Besides, marketing of rubber is also a tough task in the North-East. Hence organising rubber growers into local self-help groups such as rubber producers' societies and empowering them with knowledge and technical and material support would help in tackling the constraints.

Officials in the Ministry as also in the Board said close to 32 to 60 per cent of the entire new rubber planting that has been taking place in the country between 2002-05 was exclusively in the North-East. They said the Board implemented a project for accelerated development of rubber plantation between 1984-85 and 1989-90 and against the target for planting of 24,000 ha, as much as 23,155 ha was actually achieved. This was followed by a comprehensive scheme for rubber plantation development in the North East with a total financial outlay of Rs 84 crore for the Tenth Plan (2002-07). Under this project, new planting and replanting, integrated village level rubber development, quality upgradation and demonstration of agro-management practices were undertaken.

There are six rubber nurseries in the North Eastern Region (1997): three in Assam (Cachar, Goalpara and Karbi Anglong), two in Meghalaya (East Garo Hills and West Garo Hills) and one in West Tripura . Regional Research Stations of Rubber Board have been set up in Agartala (Tripura) in 1979, Guwahati ( Assam ) in 1985, Tura ( West Garo hills of Meghalaya) in 1985 and Kolasib (Mizoram) in 1985.

Since rubber is a relatively new crop in the region, strong extension support is required by the farmers to help them adopt scientific agro-management practices. The Rubber Board has been providing training to farmers, distributing estate inputs and cover crops, giving financial assistance for boundary protection, establishing group processing centers, supplying rubber rollers, rubber sheeting rollers free of cost, etc.

Coffee plantation in India's North Eastern Region

Traditionally coffee was confined to Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but gradually spread to Andhra and Orissa. Envisaging coffee demand to reach around 2 lakh tonnes by 2000 AD, the National Commission on Agriculture (NCA) pointed out the need to expand coffee to non-traditional areas through public sector undertakings. It was suggested that for achieving the target, an additional area of about 72,000 ha would have to be brought under coffee cultivation in non-traditional areas in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa , Assam , Tripura etc.

Following these recommendations the Coffee Board, in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi , prepared a document entitled “The prospective plan for Coffee Development 2000 AD”. The plan envisaged the need to increase production to 2 lakh tonnes by that time to meet external and internal demand by (a) increasing productivity of small grower sectors and low yielding pockets in large grower sectors and (b) by expansion of coffee in non-traditional as well as in traditional states.

Coffee was reported to have been introduced in Cachar district of Assam during 1853. It was known to have been cultivated in parts of Mizoram and Cherapunjee area of Meghalaya in 1870. Hundred tonnes of coffee were marketed in the late 19th and early 20th century in Shillong. But after 1930, except for small kitchen garden type plantation in the tea-estates, the cultivation gradually died down. Coffee gardens were successfully established by Soil Conservation departments of Meghalaya at Umling (Ri-Bhoi District), Lumshnung (Jaintia Hills District) and Tura (West Garo Hills District) and in Assam at Haflong (N.C.Hills District) and in some pockets of Nagaland as early as 1954 on pilot cum trial basis as a measure to prevent ‘jhuming’ and consequent soil erosion. These trial plantations in this region, were laid out in different elevations from 100 meters to 1000 meters, temperature variations from 12° C in winter to 33° C in summer, soil from deep red forest to sandy clayey loam and rainfall from 1900 mm to 4000 mm with dry period between November to March.

It is worth mentioning that most of the additional coffee plantation area in non-traditional areas was estimated in the North Eastern Region. Encouraged by the success of pilot studies, Coffee Board proposed a perspective plan for North East during 1970’s in association with National Council for Agricultural and Economic Research (NCEAR) and assisted by North Eastern Council (NEC), surveyed the areas and identified 44,000 ha as potential areas for coffee cultivaton, comprising 16,000 ha in Assam, 8,000 ha in Meghalaya and 4,000 ha each in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. These 44,000 ha areas are spread over in 322 Villages in 39 Districts of this region. All the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the North East are suitable for commercial cultivation of coffee. Only about 5,000-10,000 tonnes of coffee are produced in the North-East, largely in Mizoram and Nagaland.

Coffee is a new enterprise in these areas and therefore adequate technical support is needed to make the venture successful. To meet challenges in this regard, the Coffee Board has set up its regional office in Guwahati and many extension centres manned by trained officers in all the important coffee growing areas of the North Eastern Region. A training programme for field level workers was undertaken in Haflong, apart from the training of officers at the Central Coffee Research Institute to undertake managerial responsibilities. The Coffee Board, apart from other activities, has started Coffee Demonstration Farms in Assam , Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. The North Eastern Council provides ‘balancing facilities’ such as raising of coffee and shade tree nurseries in all the states, surveys land suitable for coffee cultivation in North Eastern Region.

Coffee is a labour-intensive crop, requiring 2.5 person per hectare for its maintenance. Cultivation of coffee is all the more attractive since it is one of the horticultural crops where the produce does not perish and on-farm processing is easy. Moreover, it is a low input, high return per unit area crop, providing an economic viability to jhumias who are so far used to only subsistence level of livelihood. Cultivation of coffee in the hill areas of the region should help tribal people inhabiting the areas in getting gainful employment; to certain extent, prevent soil erosion and bring about afforestation, thus improving the ecology of the North Eastern Region and the socio-economic condition of the people.


Other Crops

Spices hold immense potential, particularly organic ginger, chilly and black pepper, both for expansion of production and marketing.

Sikkim , Nagaland and Meghalaya have the potential for undertaking cultivation, processing and marketing of cardamom, naga chillies, ginger and turmeric.

In the export of tea, the share of the North-East is lower, as South India accounts for over 50 per cent of Indian tea, though the former accounts for 55 per cent of the country's tea production. In 2006, there was a breakthrough in that over 2 million kg of tea from Assam was exported to Pakistan .

The four Agri Export Zones in the North-East, prioritised on the basis of their potential and stage of implementation, include pineapples (Tripura), ginger ( Sikkim ), orchids and cherry pepper ( Sikkim ) and fresh and processed ginger ( Assam ).

Cash crops means cash income. As a viable alternative to shifting cultivation, cash crops can help in weaning away jhumming and settling down the jhummias to a profit-yielding production in the hills where they belong. These plantations can provide various subsidiary employment opportunities. Moreover, by siphoning off workers disguisedly employed in the agricultural sector to these plantations and allied ventures, there will be gainful employment. Plantations improve ecology and prevent soil erosion as well.