The Khowai Rubber Dealers Association convened a meeting at the Ashirbad Wedding Hall near the Arabind Park in Khowai Sub-division of Tripura state on July 24 at 11:30 AM to discuss the pressing issues faced by rubber dealers in the region. The primary objective of the meeting was to form a new committee for the association and to find solutions to the obstacles hindering the rubber trade in Khowai and the state.
The meeting was attended by key figures from the rubber dealers’ central committee including the vice-president Kalyan Debbarma, and the secretary Tamal Majumdar.
While addressing the audience there both Majumder and Debbarma highlighted the growing challenges faced by local rubber dealers due to the influx of large-scale dealers from outside the state. These external dealers, particularly from industrial cities, have been purchasing rubber, especially rubber sheets and scraps, from local dealers in Khowai and other parts of the state. Moreover, large dealers from Kerala, Delhi, and Mumbai have been investing heavily in the region by purchasing land and setting up smokehouses. This has allowed them to buy rubber at higher prices.
The association leaders also expressed concern over the activities of unscrupulous traders who evade taxes and engage in unfair practices, making it difficult for local dealers to compete. While farmers may benefit from higher prices in the short term, the long-term consequences for the local economy are concerning. If local dealers are forced out of business, the external dealers will have a monopoly over the rubber market, which could ultimately harm both farmers and small-scale dealers.
The association emphasised the need for measures to protect local rubber dealers, given the significant number of small-scale dealers who depend on the rubber trade for their livelihood.
