Question

Explain rubber cultivation in India under the following heads;

a) importance

b) geographical conditions

c) two rubber producing states

Answer 1

• Rubber is in huge demand in teh world market for teh production of tyres and in the manufacture of numerous industrial, household and medical products, including automobile and aircraft tires, latex balloon devises and surgical gloves
• Region- Rubber cultivation in India has been traditionally confined to the hinterlands of the southwest coast, mainly in Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu and Kerala
• Geographical conditions-
  1. Rainfall of 2000 to 3000 mm evenly distributed without any marked dry season and with 125 to 150 rainy days per annum
  2. Maximum temperature of about 29^oC to 34^oC and minimum of about 20^oC or more with a monthly mean of 25 to 28^oC
  3. High atmospheric humidity of the order of 80%
  4. Bright sunshine amounting to about 2000 h per annum at the rate of 6 h per day through all the months
  5. Absence of strong winds

     Only a few regions in India meet all these requirements. Fortunately rubber can be grown successfully under moderately deviating conditions too.