The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has voiced concern over the quality of domestically produced natural rubber, noting that it is lot rubber (low grade) which constitutes almost 30-35 per cent of the production. Arun Mammen, Chairman, ATMA, stressed the need to improve the quality of natural rubber to international standards that would help fetch better price realization for farmers. The natural rubber farmers in India are getting the highest price among other producing countries. The consuming industry, he said, requires 14 lakh tonnes of natural rubber out of which the domestic production was 8.5 lakh tonnes and the remaining quantity is met by imports due to limited supply. The demand of the consuming industry is growing and much more needs to be done to meet future demand of natural rubber which is expected to touch 20 lakh tonnes by 2030, he said. Land shortage in Kerala He pointed out that nearly 1,00,000 hectares of natural rubber plantations in Kerala remain untapped, primarily due to ageing trees, owners migrating abroad and a shortage of rubber tappers and so on. Across India, the total untapped rubber cultivation area exceeds 200,000 hectares. This comes as the country imports 40-45 per cent of its annual natural rubber demand. The tyre industry body emphasised the need to increase domestic production with focussed intervention to meet the rising demand of the consuming industry. The challenge in Kerala is adequate land availability for cultivation and the Rubber Board should identify those areas to start tapping activities. ATMA is in the process of entrusting start-ups to bring automation in tapping which could help to perk up production and offer a business opportunity for startups, he added. Quoting the International Rubber Study Group, ATMA Chairman said India registered the highest CAGR of 6.15 per cent in natural rubber demand between 2020 and 2024 among all NR-consuming and producing nations. "India’s tyre industry is unique in its heavy reliance on natural rubber which is a sustainable material. While globally, synthetic rubber makes up 60 per cent of tyre industry consumption, in India 60 per cent of rubber used is natural rubber", he added.