Tribals script success story of rubber cultivation under ITDP's scheme

 Subba, Chomu and six other Koraga family members in the nondescript village of Madimalkatte in Kalmanja Gram Panchayat, Belthangady taluk, were earning their livelihood by making baskets in the past. A scheme of Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) to plant rubbers plants on the available 10 acre land has changed the course of their life.

The rubber cultivation has turned out to be a success story in rehabilitating these primitive tribals in the region.
Eight Koraga families, which planted rubber saplings on 10 acres of land, have started getting the yield since September 2016. This has created economic independence and for bringing in self-reliance among households.

There are around 2,500 rubber plants for tapping. Nine years ago, the 10 acre barren land, owned by these Koraga families, were used for planting rubber saplings. The ITDP had distributed saplings and helped them financially to dig pits to plant the saplings.

Chomu, Raghu, Haniyaru, Subba M, Babu M, Mundappa M, Taniya and Korpalu own 10 acre rubber plantations and spend at least Rs 10,000 annually for the maintenance of the plantations.

The families tapped rubber milk in September 2016 for three months and were able to get 30 rubber sheets daily. Initially, one of their neighbours, Vishnu taught these owners how to tap milk. Now, four family members Mundappa, Meena, Bharath and Janardhan are wellversed in tapping the milk. The rubber sheets are sold to Belthangady Taluk Rubber Growers' Marketing and Processing Co-operative Society Ltd. 

Mundappa told DH: “On an average, one can earn Rs 400 per day from 100 rubber trees. With 100 rubber trees, a family can lead a content life. One gets an average of 200 ml rubber milk per day from a tree. As the rubber trees do not require water and minimum fertilisers, rubber plantations can give a better livelihood opportunities to the primitive tribals to lead a normal life.”

Cultivation of rubber with high returns and productivity can prove to be an effective tool for transforming the lives of the primitive tribals. Rubber cultivation is similar to the traditional occupation of farming and can be easily adopted in the region. In addition to providing effective means of livelihood, rubber plantations can also support social and economic development of local communities, he added.

Demands

The eight families have urged the Zilla Panchayat and ITDP to help them in constructing a smoke house, a shed and a machine to convert the rubber milk into sheets. An estimate of Rs 5 lakh will be required for fulfilling the demands.

Zilla Panchayat project director Lokesh  visited the colony and directed Kalmanja gram panchayat development officer Taranath Naik to prepare an estimate and a plan for the shed and take up the work on the shed and smoke house under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The demand for the purchase of machine which will cost around Rs 80,000 will be submitted to the ITDP, he added.