About Rubber
India is a leading natural rubber producer and an even bigger consumer, because of its tyre industry. Kerala grows most of the crop.
Where Rubber Is Grown in Karnataka
The main rubber districts of Karnataka are Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shivamogga. Karnataka is India's leading producer of ragi, coffee, arecanut and silk, and a top producer of maize, tur, tomato, onion, flowers, grapes, pomegranate and coconut. Bengaluru is the centre of India's flower trade, and Davangere, Kalaburagi, Kolar and Byadgi host major crop markets.
Season in Karnataka
Tapping mostly September–February. Exact arrival dates in Karnataka depend on local sowing and the monsoon, so check current arrivals before planning purchases.
How Rubber Is Sold in Karnataka
Farm produce is sold through regulated APMC market yards under the state's agricultural produce marketing law, run by the state agricultural marketing board, with many yards linked to eNAM. Karnataka was one of the first states to run a unified electronic market platform across its APMCs.
Other major markets in Karnataka
- Yeshwanthpur APMC, BengaluruOnion, potato, grainsAboutExplore
- K.R. Market and IFAB, BengaluruFlowersAboutExplore
- DavangereMaizeAboutExplore
- KalaburagiTurAboutExplore
- KolarTomatoAboutExplore
- ShivamoggaArecanutAboutExplore
- ByadgiChilliAboutExplore
State Agencies in Karnataka
Rubber has no minimum support price, so it is bought almost entirely by private traders, processors and exporters. State marketing bodies regulate the markets and support farmer producer organisations.
- Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing BoardRegulated marketsAboutExplore
- Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies CorporationRagi and paddy procurementAboutExplore
- CAMPCO and arecanut cooperativesArecanut marketingAboutExplore
Quality and Price Notes
Most small growers in Kerala make ribbed smoked sheets: latex is coagulated with acid in pans, rolled into sheets, and dried in smoke houses. Sheets are graded RSS1 to RSS5 by cleanliness and colour; RSS4 is the benchmark grade quoted daily by the Rubber Board. Factories make ISNR (Indian Standard Natural Rubber) block rubber, preferred by tyre makers, and centrifuged latex for gloves, balloons, foam and condoms.
Indian rubber prices follow the Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur markets, adjusted for import duty and freight. Tyre demand from the auto industry, monsoon disruption of tapping in Kerala, and labour shortages decide the domestic balance. When domestic prices fall below world prices, growers cut tapping; when they rise, imports grow.
With little new land in Kerala, the Rubber Board and tyre companies are expanding plantations in Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram, where rubber is replacing shifting cultivation on hill slopes.
Buyers, Processors and Exporters
These companies and bodies buy, process or export rubber across India, including from Karnataka. Tap a name for details.
- Rubber BoardKottayamAboutExplore
- MRF LtdTyresAboutExplore
- Apollo Tyres LtdTyresAboutExplore
- CEAT LtdTyresAboutExplore
- JK Tyre & Industries LtdTyresAboutExplore
Research and Advice in Karnataka
New varieties, crop advice and seed for rubber growers in Karnataka come from the state agricultural universities below and from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district.
- University of Agricultural Sciences, BengaluruBengaluruAboutExplore
- University of Agricultural Sciences, DharwadDharwadAboutExplore
- University of Horticultural SciencesBagalkotAboutExplore
Rubber in Other States
Kerala · Tripura · Tamil Nadu · Assam
Related: Rubber – all India · Karnataka · All crops
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer