ISBN: - 978-93-88936-09-5 some monetary and non-monetary privileges like education scholarship, medical facility, headlight, monthly salary received, housing facility etc., than the others. Payment received by the tappers Generally, tappers receive wages on the basis of the number of trees tapped or per day remuneration or monthly salary. The average wage rate for tapping 100 trees is estimated. During the period 1990-92, the rising tendency of natural rubber price caused an abnormal rise of wage by 33 percent bringing the average wage from Rs.18 per 100 trees to Rs. 24/-. In almost all the cases the nature of wage payment is piece rate. The mode of wage payment in 98 percent of cases is payment by cash. The rest of tappers ie.; 2 percent are receiving wages as half of rubber sheets they produced. Along with wage, perquisites like meals or snacks are enjoyed by negligible number of tappers. The following table explains that the remuneration received by the tappers in Kanyakumari district. Table 4.10 Mode of payment Kalkulam taluk Vilavancode taluk Thovalai taluk Payment Daily/weekly remuneration Rate per tree Monthly salary Both (A) and (B) Total Respondent % Respondent % Respondent % 26 8 31 15 16 70 11.4 44.3 21.4 22.9 100.0 13 9 16 12 50 7 18.0 32.0 24.0 100 11 9 3 30 Total 23.3 28 51 30.0 40 10.0 31 100.0 150 Source: Computed from Primary data Note: Figures indicate the percentage to total The above table stated that, the remuneration paid to the tappers include monthly basis, daily/weekly basis, rate per tree basis, and both rate per tree and non-rate per tree basis Basically, two methods of payment to the tappers, piece rate of tree and non-piece rate of tree. Out of the 150 sample respondents 34 per cent of the tappers are received payment on piece rate per tree basis, nearly 26 per cent of the tappers have received payment on daily/ monthly basis, 21 per cent of the tappers are received payment on both (A) and (B) basis, and remaining 19 per cent of the tappers are received payment on monthly salary basis. It signifies that most of the NR tappers have received payment on the basis of piece rate per tree tapping, because in Kanyakumari district NR cultivation in smallholdings. Mode of repayment by the tappers Generally, when the tappers are preferred to tapped trees in their single holdings, due to the shortage of skilled tappers are available in Kanyakumari district, the estate holders or owner of 120
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