Thiruvalla, March 31 -- Ahead of the Keralan Assembly elections 2026, rubber farmers in Thiruvalla voice deep distress over falling prices, rising costs, and labour shortages, calling the crisis "existential" as political parties trade promises while livelihoods tied to the state's "white gold" continue to deteriorate.

The crisis is no longer just financial; it is existential. With production costs skyrocketing and a volatile market leaving farmers with a meagre Rs 200 to Rs 213 per kg, the "white gold" that built Keralam's middle class is losing its lustre.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of a local plantation, farmers painted a picture of a sector in terminal decline. The primary culprit? A crushing labour crisis.

"We are caught in ...