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 Tamil Nadu
The main rubber districts of Tamil Nadu are Kanyakumari. Tamil Nadu leads India in banana and is a top producer of coconut, turmeric, jasmine, tapioca, urad and groundnut. Its Cauvery delta grows rice, its western districts coconut and turmeric, Krishnagiri mango, and Madurai and Hosur its famous flowers.
Season in Tamil Nadu
Tapping mostly September–February. Exact arrival dates in Tamil Nadu depend on local sowing and the monsoon, so check current arrivals before planning purchases.
How Rubber Is Sold in Tamil Nadu
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. Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers' markets) allow direct sales to consumers.
Other major markets in Tamil Nadu
- Koyambedu, ChennaiFruits, vegetables, flowersAboutExplore
- ErodeTurmericAboutExplore
- Mattuthavani, MaduraiJasmineAboutExplore
- Pollachi and KangeyamCoconut, copraAboutExplore
- TheniBananaAboutExplore
- KrishnagiriMangoAboutExplore
State Agencies in Tamil Nadu
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.
- Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC)Paddy procurementAboutExplore
- Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing BoardRegulated marketsAboutExplore
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 Tamil Nadu. Tap a name for details.
- Rubber BoardKottayamAboutExplore
- MRF LtdTyresAboutExplore
- Apollo Tyres LtdTyresAboutExplore
- CEAT LtdTyresAboutExplore
- JK Tyre & Industries LtdTyresAboutExplore
Research and Advice in Tamil Nadu
New varieties, crop advice and seed for rubber growers in Tamil Nadu come from the state agricultural universities below and from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district.
Rubber in Other States
Kerala · Tripura · Karnataka · Assam
Related: Rubber – all India · Tamil Nadu · 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