Agartala, Sept. 5 -- Rubber Board has launched a major initiative to protect plantations in Tripura from a fungal disease that has been causing premature leaf fall in rubber trees across the state.
Rubber Board officials said that for the last few months' distress rubber growers in several districts had reported heavy damage to their plantations, with many even halting latex collection due to widespread infection and tree deaths.
Tripura is second in India in natural rubber production after Kerala, and the state's rural economy has seen an impressive growth due to rubber cultivation.
Following complaints from farmers, Rubber Board collected leaf samples and confirmed that excessive rainfall had triggered a new fungal outbreak. Acting swi...