The Rubber Board, operating under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala’s Department of Agricultural Development and Farmers’ Welfare for the KERA (Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernisation) project. Supported by World Bank funding, the initiative is slated for implementation from 2025 to 2029

The Rubber Board, under India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala’s Department of Agricultural Development and Farmers’ Welfare to jointly implement the Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernisation (KERA) project, set to run from 2025 to 2029 with World Bank support. At the same ceremony held at the Rubber Research Institute of India in Kottayam, the Spices Board also signed an MoU to participate in the initiative.

The Rubber Board’s Executive Director, M Vasanthagesan, IRS, and the Additional Project Director of KERA, along with P Vishnuraj IAS, Director of Kerala’s Industries & Commerce Department, formalized the agreement. Representing the Spices Board, Director Dr. Rema Shree A B signed the corresponding MoU. Vasanthagesan also inaugurated a training program for officials tasked with the project’s implementation.

Under the KERA scheme, farmers cultivating rubber and cardamom will receive financial support — Rs 75,000 per hectare for rubber and Rs 1,00,000 per hectare for cardamom, applicable up to two hectares each. The scheme targets rubber farmers in six districts: Kottayam, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Malappuram, and Thiruvananthapuram, while cardamom farmers in Idukki district will also benefit.

The event was attended by key officials including Dr. Siju T, Rubber Production Commissioner; Dharmendra Das, Director and Development In-charge at the Spices Board; Suresh C, Procurement Officer for KERA; and Shylaja K, Joint Rubber Production Commissioner.

The KERA project aims to promote climate-resilient agricultural practices and modernize value chains, helping farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions while enhancing productivity and sustainability.