socio-economic profile of rubber tappers in the small holding sector

Advance payment is given to 62.40 percent of tappers. Additional nominal benefit
like bonus, festival allowance etc. are enjoyed only by 31.30 percent
2.4 Impact of People’s Plan
Almost all the sample tappers are aware of the People’s Plan and majority of the
sample tappers have participated in the GRAMASABHA. The percentage of sample
house holds who became direct beneficiaries of People’s Plan is 42.Important types of
benefits are financial assistance for building house, latrine, buying cattle, sheep, for
electrification of the house etc.But the sample family members are not elevated to such a
level to understand the depth or spirit of People’s Plan. They consider the new venture
as a scheme of some welfare measures for personal beneficiaries rather than a deviation
from the conventional mode of development and planning. Moreover, there has not been
specialised study regarding the problems of rubber tappers during the period of preparing
projects for the implementation of Peoples’ Plan, though a notable percent of population
of the panchayath belongs to tappers’families.
2.5 Conclusion
Based on the above facts, we can conclude that the living conditions of tappers are
poor. Their average income lags behind average expenditure by a significant margin.
Their debt position is becoming worse. Most of them have no alternative sources of
income. Backwardness in the field of education and culture is evident. They are deprived
off proper education due to lack of money and awareness.
As the wage is price elastic to some extent, the decreasing tendency of natural
rubber price may cause further worsening of the living conditions of tappers.