Rubber Board of India
- It is governed by the ministry of Commerce and Industry and has its headquarters in Kottayam, Kerala.
- The Board is in charge of supporting and fostering research, development, extension, and training initiatives connected to rubber in order to advance the rubber sector in the nation.
- The Rubber Board oversees the Rubber Research Institute.
Commercial Plantation Crop: The latex of a tree known as Hevea Brasiliensis is used to make rubber. For military, national security, and industrial growth, rubber is primarily regarded as a critical industrial raw resource and given a special position internationally.
Conditions for Growth: It is an equatorial crop that may also be cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions under specific circumstances.
- Temperature: Above 25°C with a humid and rainy environment.
- Rainfall: 200 cm or more of rain.
- Soil Type: Alluvial soil that is rich and well-drained.
- For this plantation crop, there must be a cheap and plentiful supply of competent workers.
Rubber Industry
Natural Rubber refers to elastomers that are manufactured naturally. Latex, a milky white liquid that drips from the bark of various tropical and subtropical plants, is the primary ingredient in natural rubber. This latex rubber is mostly produced in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. It is made by polymerizing the chemical compound isoprene (2-methyl-1, 3-butadiene), also known as cis-1, 4-polyisoprene. Simply described, they are produced by loosely fusing the isoprene monomers into a long, twisted chain. The Rubber Research Institute developed the first genetically modified rubber plant, particularly for this site, and it was planted in Assam where it is expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the mountainous northeastern region.
Rubber Consumption in India:
- Sector of automotive tyres: 50% (all Kind of Rubber)
- Tires and tubes for bicycles: 15%
- Shoes: 12%
- Hoses and belts: 6%
- Production of latex and camelback: 7%
- Other product: 10%