BANGLADESH: Rubber industry suffers from low prices
The rubber industry in Bangladesh is facing tough times due to a continuous fall in prices. As a result of their growing frustration, many plantation owners in the region are now even considering cutting down their rubber trees to make room for other plants.
According to Bangladesh Rubber Development Corporation, rubber cultivation started in Bangladesh during the 1980s. Since then, numerous public and private rubber plantations have been established on about 60,000 acres of land. There are 18 state-owned rubber plantations in Bangladesh, nine of which are in Chattogram, five in Tangail and Mymensingh and four in Sylhet. The country's annual demand for rubber stands at about 30,000 tons, around 18,000 to 20,000 tons of which is produced locally.
Besides, since the labour cost to produce rubber is less than half of that for tea, rubber cultivation is increasing day by day. But for more than a decade now, the demand for domestic rubber has been low and prices have fallen and as a result, many gardeners have become indebted to meet production costs. The rubber industry is suffering from a lack of proper planning, modern farming methods, and interest among new entrepreneurs alongside import dependence and indifference among the authorities concerned.
Source: “The Daily Star”, Dhaka; 20 May 2021
(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)