Kottayam: The price of rubber crossed Rs 200 per kg mark in the international market. The price of 1 kg Ribbed Smoked Sheet Rubber 1 (RSS Rubber-1) variety and 1kg RSS 3 variety at the Bangkok market are Rs 203.43 and Rs 200.76, respectively. 

Data reveals that the rubber prices have crossed Rs 200 per kg mark after seven years. The last time, the prices crossed the Rs 200 kg mark was on February 1, 2017. 

The rise in rubber prices has been attributed to lower production and increased consumption. It may be noted that the production of rubber in Thailand, the frontrunner of rubber production in the world, has gone down recently. 

Meanwhile, the trade price of rubber in India on Thursday was Rs 164 per kg only. The rubber board price of the RSS 3 variety was Rs 169 per kg. That means the price difference between domestic and international markets is around Rs 39 per kg. In 2022, in the months of June and July, the prices of rubber in the domestic market were around Rs 176 per kg. However, the prices plummeted later. 

National Consortium of Rubber Producers' Societies (NCRPS) national general secretary Babu maintained that rubber cultivators are being cheated by state-central governments, who are not procuring and exporting the rubber despite the present situation.