A newly-developed natural rubber (NR) clone, specific for the North-East’s climate, will be the highlight of the India meet of ANRPC (Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries) in mid-October. Union minister for commerce and industries Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate the ninth annual rubber conference of the ANRPC on October 17 at Guwahati.
Sitharaman will also release a new natural rubber clone developed by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) exclusively for cultivation in the North-East, by handing over a seedling to Atul Bora, agricultural minister of Assam. This would be the first time that the Rubber Board is releasing an indigenously-developed clone for exclusive cultivation in the North-East, board sources told FE.
ANRPC has 11 member countries including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Together these 11 countries account for around 90% of world natural rubber production. They are also responsible for 65% of rubber consumption.
The association, set up in 1970, has been an effective forum for facilitating exchange of information, consolidation of statistics, networking and coordinated initiatives on issues confronting the NR sector. The session of the assembly and meeting of executive committee of ANRPC is usually held once a year.
Discussions on growing demand supply gaps in NR worldwide will be led by ANRPC secretary general Sheela Thomas, Tirthankar Patnaik (India Strategist, Asian financial solutions department, Mizuho Bank, Japan), Abdul Aziz SA Kadir (secretary general, International Rubber Research & Development Board) and Lekshmi Nair (head of economics & statistics, International Rubber Study Group, Singapore).
