Aizawl, July 17 -- The Mizoram government has stepped up efforts to transform rubber cultivation into a key driver of rural livelihoods and economic growth through the Chief Minister's Rubber Mission, a five-year programme aimed at expanding plantations by 11,500 hectares while providing end-to-end support to growers.
According to the Land Resources, Soil & Water Conservation Department, rubber was introduced in Mizoram in 1982 as an alternative source of income for farmers. The department estimates that nearly 50,000 hectares in the state are suitable for rubber cultivation, but only around 7,000 hectares have so far been brought under plantations.
The department said rubber cultivation not only offers farmers a stable source of income b...