The Rubber Board at Kottayam, and the training and research institutions that work under it

Background

The Press Information Bureau records that the Rubber Board is a statutory body constituted under the Rubber Act, 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in India and functioning under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. The National Institute for Rubber Training and the Rubber Research Institute of India, both at Kottayam in Kerala, function under the aegis of the Rubber Board. The research institute's work was described as covering scientific breeding programmes, biotechnology interventions and disease management strategies to raise productivity and quality. It holds the International Hevea Clone Museum, which serves as a repository of advanced genetic resources, and India is a signatory to the international clone exchange programme. The release states that the Bharath Sustainable Natural Rubber platform has been launched to ensure legality and traceability across the rubber value chain. The Board's Executive Director told a visiting press delegation that a major share of domestic rubber production is consumed by the tyre industry, and that the Board has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Himalayan Forest Research Institute to begin experimental trials at feasible locations across different agro-climatic zones.