Plantation Development Scheme (New Planting & Replanting) under MTFP

What is the Plantation Development Scheme under MTFP?

The Plantation Development Scheme (New Planting & Replanting) is run by the Rubber Board, a statutory body under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as part of its Medium Term Framework Plan (MTFP) for the rubber sector. Its aim is to raise India's natural rubber production by encouraging growers to plant new rubber and replant old, low-yielding areas using scientific methods and quality planting material.

According to the Rubber Board, a general grower receives about Rs 40,000 per hectare for new planting or replanting. SC growers in non-traditional regions can receive a substantially higher rate, and the Board may also supply quality planting materials to growers. The scheme covers three types of area: the traditional belt of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, non-traditional areas, and the North Eastern Region, which the government has been actively promoting for rubber.

Main features

• Subsidy for new planting and replanting of rubber.
• About Rs 40,000 per hectare for general growers, with higher rates for SC growers and region-specific support.
• Minimum eligible area of 0.10 hectare of contiguous land in a year.
• Covers traditional (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), non-traditional and North Eastern regions.

Who is eligible for this rubber plantation scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a rubber grower undertaking new planting or replanting.
• You are planting on a minimum of 0.10 hectare of contiguous land in a single year.
• Your holding is in a traditional area (Kerala or Tamil Nadu), a non-traditional area, or the North Eastern Region covered by the scheme.
• You use quality planting material and follow the Board's cultivation norms.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• Your planting area is below the 0.10 hectare minimum or is scattered rather than contiguous.
• You cannot show valid ownership or possession of the land.
• The planting does not follow the Rubber Board's technical requirements for the scheme.

The higher SC rate specifically requires a valid caste certificate, and the region-specific rates depend on where the holding is located.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the rubber plantation development scheme

1. Confirm your holding qualifies, a minimum of 0.10 hectare of contiguous land for new planting or replanting in a traditional, non-traditional or North Eastern area.
2. Register and log in on the Rubber Board's Service Plus portal, reachable from rubberboard.gov.in.
3. Fill in the application with your land, planting and area details, and upload proof of ownership, planting material evidence and bank details (and a caste certificate if claiming the SC rate).
4. Submit the application before the notified last date for the year — for example, applications in a recent cycle closed on 31 October.
5. The Rubber Board's field staff inspect the planting, and on verification the subsidy is released to your bank account.

Growers are encouraged to contact their local Rubber Board field office for help with the online application and inspection scheduling.

How much does the scheme provide?

A general grower receives about Rs 40,000 per hectare for new planting or replanting of rubber. SC growers in non-traditional regions are entitled to a much higher rate, and the Rubber Board may additionally supply quality planting materials worth a significant per-hectare value. Because the assistance is per-hectare and tied to actual verified planting, the total a grower receives depends on the area planted and the applicable regional and category rates.

Help and where to verify

• Rubber Board, Kottayam, Kerala, board line 0481-2301231.
• Scheme details, current rates and the Service Plus application are on rubberboard.gov.in.

The MTFP rates, the covered regions and the annual last date are revised by the Rubber Board from time to time, and the higher SC and North East figures in particular vary by category and region. Confirm the current per-hectare rate for your area and category on the Rubber Board portal before applying, and treat the figures here as indicative.