Rubber plantation farmers demand higher monetary compensation

Rubber is one the major plantation businesses in Kanniyakumari district and it had replaced all the major crops of the area, including banana and paddy.

According to the government rubber trees in 1,400 hectares were affected. The total number of damaged trees is roughly said around 7 lakh.

However the government had announced a compensation of Rs1 lakh per hectare. Farmers say that the compensation is no way near the amount spent on a single rubber tree.

John Morris (69), from Pulipuram village near Samiyarmadam in Kanniyakumari district, said that when a rubber tree is planted it would take at least seven years to mature and only then latex can be tapped. He had planted around 100 trees and 40 were damaged in the cyclone.

All the trees were 10 years old and he had been getting good returns from them.

These trees would have given him good profit for the next 30 years. But now all his efforts had gone down the drain. “I have no other option but to plant new trees and wait for years to get returns.

Therefore, the compensation amount should be increased,” said John Morris.

Another farmer Sunderraj, from Panavalai Thittai village near Marthandam, said if a section of trees are damaged they cannot be planted as small trees would not grow among the bigger trees. So, they had to wait for the completion of 40 years and then replant them fresh.

A tree will give a return of several thousands to farmers in its entire period. But, the compensation of Rs1 lakh per hectare is just Rs 200 per tree as 500 rubber trees are planted per hectare. So a realistic compensation of Rs.10,000 per damaged tree should be given, said Sunderraj.

Meanwhile, RSS members staged a road roko for five hours at Thuckalay demanding reasonable compensation for damaged plantations and houses. They said like fishermen, farmers and people too should be given compensation.

Kanniyakumari Collector Sajjan Singh R.Chavan, and SP M Durai, held talks with the protesters assured them that the matter would be taken to the notice of the Chief Minister.