The INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project, aimed at improving the quality of natural rubber, has received a financial boost of Rs.100 crore. With the fourth year of rubber plantation now completed, the focus is shifting towards providing technical expertise to rubber growers and establishing model infrastructure for quality enhancement.
Arnab Banerjee, Chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), confirmed that the Rs.100 crore will be allocated to build capacity through skill development programs for rubber growers and to set up model infrastructure. He shared these details during a visit to Guwahati to meet with beneficiary farmers and assess the progress of the project.
INROAD is a unique initiative, marking the first global collaboration in which the tyre industry is directly contributing to the development of rubber plantations. The project is supported financially by four ATMA members—Apollo, Ceat, JK, and MRF—and is being implemented by the Rubber Board of India.
Over the course of the first four years, the project has successfully expanded natural rubber plantations, covering 1,25,272 hectares across 94 districts in the North East and parts of West Bengal.
One of the critical areas of focus for the project is the tapping and processing of natural rubber, which require specialized skills and infrastructure. To address this, INROAD will provide skill-based training through digital platforms and establish Model Smoke Houses and Model Processing and Grading Centres tailored specifically to the needs of the region.
Rubber smokehouses play a vital role in producing high-quality rubber sheets by drying and curing latex tapped from rubber trees. The first of these model smokehouses was inaugurated by Banerjee in Goalpara, Assam, for the Bhaishkhuli Pragatishil Mohila Samittee, a women’s cooperative of 65 female rubber growers committed to sustainable rubber plantation practices.
The inauguration of this smokehouse marks an important step in the economic empowerment of local rubber growers. By improving the quality of rubber produced, the smokehouse will increase revenue for the growers. Additionally, it will function as a training and demonstration centre, further improving the quality of rubber sheets and benefiting the livelihoods of the growers in the region. (With inputs from The Hindu)