Aizawl: The Mizoram government has decided to expand rubber cultivation under the second phase of the ambitious Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission to boost farmers’ livelihoods and enhance rubber cultivation.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma chaired a meeting with leaders of the Mizoram Rubber Society (Mirso) on Wednesday and approved a proposal to expand the CM’s Rubber Mission by an additional 173 hectares of land.
The chief minister also reviewed a report, which was presented by Mirso president Hrangzuala, on the progress of work under the second phase of the mission in West Mizoram’s Mamit district.
He informed the chief minister that local farmers had expressed their strong desire to expand rubber cultivation.
As the cultivation has been confined to 400 hectares of land in Mamit, an additional 173 hectares have been proposed to expand the rubber plantation, as farmers have shown great interest in it, Hrangzuala said.
Lalduhoma also informed the Mirso leaders that efforts were being made to distribute 100 rubber processing machines at subsidised rates.
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The second phase of the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission covers a total of 2,400 hectares of land across the state, of which 1,200 hectares are being covered with financial support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), while the remaining will be implemented under the state’s flagship ‘Handholding’ scheme.
The ‘Handholding’ scheme will cover rubber cultivation in 1,373 hectares of land, including 173 hectares approved on Wednesday.
