LETTERS TO RUBBER MARK

Ref. No. QRMS/013/A                                       Date: Sep, 16,2000

To
The Managing Director
Kerala State Co-operative Rubber-
Marketing Federation Limited
P.B.No: 15, Kochi 682 020

Sir,
Sub: Non-providing – declared price of quality Rubber Sheets – redressal of grievances regarding.
Ref:            (1)        Rubber Statistical News 7/2000
(3) Mathrubhoomi – Community price – published up to 2/9/2000
(4) Rubber Bhavan News Vol II issue 3 – July – Sep. 2000
The Quality Rubber Marketing Society, Thiruvananthapuram – a concern for the promotion of Quality Rubber Sheets production and enhancing the income of the rubber growers by availing maximum eligible price for quality sheets – have the following grievances as regards to prices appraisal for quality sheets and grading of Rubber Sheets by the Kerala State Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation Ltd.
The members of the society engaged in quality rubber sheets production and when sold their produce at Kerala State Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation Ltd procuring center Thiruvananthapuram on 21/06/200 were not provided justice in –
i. appraisal of price
ii. grading of sheets
Appraisal of price
The price published as in the reference RSS-1 and 2 is Rs. 3,450/- but provided was only Rs. 3,375/-
The Rubber Dealers Federation Publication RUBBER BHAVAN NEWS in page 25 points out the fact that the rise in price in RSS- grade 1 (in the recent past) was not extended to the public by the procuring agencies.
Grading of sheets
The QRMS also has a grievance that the sheets that were sold to the Rubber Mark Thiruvananthapuram were actually RSS-1 grade but arbitrarily graded by the purchasing agency as RSS-2.
To assure justice to the Rubber Growers, who were very badly effected by the falling prices, the due price eligible to them, we demand that public sector  Co-operative Rubber Mark should provide ie., the actual cost shown in dailies to the rubber growers. A scientific system of grading rubber sheets to dispel the apprehension of the sellers as well the rule of convenience adopted by the buyers to suit their gain is to be enforced.
As per a statement given today by the Kerala State Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation  the price of quality sheets is Rs. 31/kg only. It is an example of the grievances mentioned above.
Yours faithfully
Secretary, For QRMS
Encl: (1) Photostat copies of item 1 – 3 shown under reference  
(2) Bye law of the QRMS
Copy to : Shri M.K.Vidyadharan
Director, Rubber Mark
(Reply for above letter from Rubber Mark received as follows)
Ref: RPI: 108: 2792: 2000-01       30-9-2000
Sir,
Ref:- Your letter No.QRMS/013/A dated  16-9-2000
This has reference to your letter cited above regarding non-providing of declared price of quality rubber sheets, We have gone through the contents of the letter and the following are our comments:
a) The sample sheet that you have given does not conform to either RSS 1x or 1, mainly on colour and smoking.
b) The price of RSS 1x published in – Malayala Manorama – is the average price of RSS 1x transacted during the previous week.
c) We buy all grades of rubber based on the daily market rate only.
d) The premium offered by major tyre companies for good quality RSS 1/1x is only Rs. 2.50 to 3 over RSS 4.
Hope you will understand the situation and will co-operate with us.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully
Manager (technical)
Copy to Trivandrum branch
We sent a letter for the above and did not get any reply from Rubber Mark as follows:
Ref: No.QRMS/015/A October 10,2000
The Manager (Technical)
The Kerala State Co-operative
Rubber marketing Federation Ltd
P.Box No. 15, Gandhi Nagar  
Cochin 682 020
Sir,
Sub: Rubber growers problems regarding marketing – viz. grading and pricing – regarding
Ref: (1) RPI: 108: 2792: 2000-01 dated 30-09-2000
      (2) Letter No. QRMS/013/A dated 16/9/2000 from the Secretary, QRMS.
This is with reference to your letter dated 30/9/2000 regarding grading of rubber sheets and price appraisal.
On studying the issues related to grading of rubber sheets and price appraisal, the following points are brought to your knowledge for urgent redressal.
(1) The public sector under rubber sheet purchaser Rubber Mark is procuring sheets and grading them according to convenience and sell these products at higher grades and rates making enormous profit at the expense of the growers.
(2) To dispel this claim, the procurement and sale of rubber by Rubber Mark is to be made transparent.
(3) The Rubber Mark is also bound to make known to the public as per the provisions of the consumer protection Act 1986, the methods adopted by the Society to grade the sheets and price offered for different grades.
(4) The price offered for buying and selling different grade sheets are not displayed by the Rubber Mark so far. Unless this is done your contention in para (b) (c) and (d) can be sustained.
(5) THE QUANDUM OF SHEETS PROCURED under each grade and the QUANDUM OF EACH GRADE SOLD is to be ascertained to find out whether Rubber Mark is Rubber Mark is getting more premium or not, as well as to know whether sheets are procured as lots and sold after grading.
(6) The daily market price claim of Rubber Mark is also false,  since the daily price of RSS 1x, 1, 2, and 3 are not published by any Dailies in Kerala.
All these points to the fact that Rubber Mark is not rubber growers friendly and the minimum protection eligible for rubber growers as per relevant consumer Acts are not provided. Being a Public Sector concern functioning under the Co-operative department, the Rubber Mark has to answer the above said queries with the seriousness it demand and redress the grievances at the earliest.
We may be constrained to approach judiciary if remedial action to redress our grievances are not made known within a period of 80 (eighty) days.
Yours faithfully
Secretary, For QRMS
cc.(1) Honourable Minister for Co-operation, Kerala
(2) Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, Trivandrum
(3) Managing Director Rubber Mark, Cochin
(4) Secretary Department of Co-operation, Govt. of Kerala
(5) The Registrar, Co-operative Department, Govt. of Kerala                      
       
         

TO SHARE OUR INVENTIONS WITH OTHER RUBBER GROWERS

Ref No. QRMS/006/B        Date: 28-01-02
To
Thee Dean
Agricultural University
Vellayani
Thiruvananthapuram

Sir,
Quality Rubber Marketing Society is a body of actual Rubber Growers particularly small farmers who are trying to improve in production and marketing of Natural Rubber. The members of this society discuss and share their experiences, observations and solutions to problems in a transparent and selfless manner. All the benefits from these activities are shared equally and any proceed from these activities is only used for undertaking further activities.
I am the Secretary of this society and the benefits of the results of my experiments and discoveries are dedicated entirely to this Society. Some of these have been published in popular journals, news papers and public forums. But I find that The Kerala Agricultural University can help us in some of these experiments, to find out how some of these observations and experiments and results can be proved with theoretical backing and laboratory support. In return we are willing to offer the Rubber Plantations of our members for observations and experiments of your University that is a mutually supporting and purposeful University-Farmer linkage.
In particular I wish to put forth before you our observations and results regarding BROWNBAST (pattamarappu) (please see enclosures). I feel that it is necessary to study the CLOTTING PROCESS in rubber trees in greater detail and identify ways and means to control the action of clotting agents.
We look forward to immediate and expeditious action on your side because we do not want to let the farmers suffer from this problem any longer. If there is any problem in this regard kindly let us know so that we can approach some other appropriate institution.
Thanking you in anticipation
Yours faithfully
Secretary, QRMS
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A E-mail letter on six inventions of a rubber grower sent to International Rubber Study Group on 27-06-2003
1. Brownbast due to Clotting Agents
2. Fire therapy for fungal diseases  
3. Formic acid reacts in heat
4. Chlorophyll grows in new bark
5. Petroleum product like rubber coat to avoid  
6. Universal Agricultural Drier to dry rubber sheets within 24 hours          
 
E-mail address of IRSG: [email protected]