Empowerment of the Rubber Smallholders

The local rubber production has declined due to the drop in the price of natural rubber in the International Market during the past period. Special programmes have to be implemented to protect approximately 130,000 of rubber smallholders and also to further retain them in the Rubber Plantation Sector. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Plantation Industries, to provide a tool kit along with the equipment tools and accessories manufactured and developed by the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka worth of Rs.5,000/- each to 10,000 members of the ‘Thurusaviya’ Societies within the two years of 2018 2019, which will assist in enhancing the production productivity, was approved by the Cabinet