ISBN: - 978-93-88936-09-5 respondents felt that the functioning of the Government support is poor. Among them 31 are in Kalkulam taluk, 25are in Vilavancode taluk and 13 are in Thovalai taluk. Problems faced by the tappers in tapping Now-a-days the labour is the most important problem in rubber and other agricultural commodities production. The demand and supply conditions of tappers' labour market are determined by objective factors as price of natural rubber, wage rate, nature of work etc. and subjective factors such as the perspective of tapper and grower, moral ties etc. At present there is no serious scarcity of tappers, though there is scarcity of skilled persons. The trend shows that in the future the situation of scarcity of tappers, whether skilled or unskilled, will become chronic due to the nature of younger generation not to depend on tapping for livelihood, decline in rubber economy and consequent reduction in wage rate. The following table explains that the problems faced by the tappers in Kanyakumari district. Table 4.13 Problems faced by the tappers Problems in tapping Transportation Low charges Non – seasonal Natural calamities Lack of inputs Delay in payment confestration Total Kalkulam taluk Vilavancode taluk Thovalai taluk Respondent % Respondent % Respondent % 8 21 12 14 6 5 4 70 11.4 30.0 17.1 20.0 8.6 7.1 5.7 100 8 10 12 6 5 5 4 50 16.0 20.0 24.0 12.0 10.0 10.0 8.0 100.0 Source: Computed from Primary data Note: Figures in parentheses indicate the percentage to total It is clear from the above table that, the problems faced by the tappers are transportation, low wages, non-seasonal period, natural calamities, lack of inputs, delay in payment, and confestration . 13 per cent of tappers have problems like transportation, above 20 per cent of tappers have problems like low charges or low wages and non-seasonal, 10 per cent of the tappers are facing problems like lack of inputs and delay in payments and at least 6 per cent of the tappers have problem is confestration. Only few tappers are in the study area facing monkey bite, snake bite, elephant etc., In Kalkulam taluk, majority of the tappers are facing low charges or low wages is received, and only 20 per cent of the tappers are facing the problems like non-seasonal cultivation of rubber in Vilavancode and Thovalai taluks . 122 4 4 6 5 5 5 1 30 Total 13.3 20 13.3 35 23.3 30 16.7 25 16.7 16 16.7 15 9 100.0 150
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