OUR CORRESPONDENT
BONGAIGAON: What began as a tiny spark in 2002 has today grown into a powerful wave of prosperity-turning North Salmara into the best rubber-producing region of the Northeast, a legacy carried forward by nearly 3000 cultivators.
Speaking to the press, Krishnendu Das, Secretary, All Assam Small Rubber Growers' Association, said that rubber cultivation began in 1989 with only a few farmers and no organized group. In 2002, with financial support from the Assam Rubber Board, the North Salmara Rubber Farmers' Cooperative Society was formed with around 30 members, of whom only 10-11 were producers. Today, among 3000 farmers, more than 700 farmers have started production, considering the 7-8 years needed for rubber to yield, and the cooperative now supports nearly 10,000 families.
November and December are favourable for tapping, after which latex is processed into rubber sheets at the cooperative unit.
This year, the cooperative received two major recognitions-the m-Rube National Award for best online rubber marketing, awarded by the Rubber Board, Govt of India at Agartala, and the Best Performing Group Processing Centre of Rubber in the Northeast, awarded by the Govt of Assam under the Swachhta Action Plan. Officials noted the cooperative has received several awards earlier as well.
Rubber from North Salmara is purchased by reputed companies such as Bridgestone.
However, Harish Ray, President, Rubber Producer Society, said that the cooperative was facing difficulties due to limited land and a shortage of smokehouses required for drying sheets.
Krishnendu Das added that many farmers had been cultivating rubber on khas land for over 20 years, encouraged by the then government. He alleged that although they were eligible for land registration under Basundhara 3.0, many were deprived due to complex procedures, and he urged the government to ensure justice for them.
Also Read: ATMA officials visit rubber nursery along Assam-Meghalaya border