Sat Feb 22 15:21:19 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Congress Seeks ₹1,000 Crore Rubber Subsidy from Centre

**KOTTAYAM, Feb 22, 2025** – A Kerala Congress delegation met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday, urging for a ₹1,000 crore special package to support natural rubber farmers. The delegation, led by Lok Sabha MP K. Francis George, argued that the government’s ₹7,575 crore in rubber import duty revenue (2019-2023) could easily fund a minimum support price (MSP) of ₹250 per kg for rubber. This, they claim, would stabilize prices and prevent farmers from abandoning rubber cultivation.

In addition to the rubber subsidy, the delegation also requested the conversion of a loan for Vizhinjam port viability gap funding into a grant, an increase in the central government’s contribution to ASHA worker salaries, and the establishment of a Jackfruit Board to promote the processing and value addition of this widely grown crop in Kerala. The meeting took place in Kottayam during Ms. Sitharaman’s visit for the IIIT Kottayam convocation.

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