THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The budget announcement has come in as a relief to the rubber farmers who have been facing huge challenges in the sector. The use of rubber products in road construction will be expanded, said the finance minister. Although there are rubberized roads in the state, from now onwards, rubber mixtures will be added to the tars in all the roads constructed by the public works department and KIIFB.

Numerous announcements have been made in the budget for the agricultural sector. The most important of these is the allocation of ten mini food parks in the state. A CIAL model company will be set up for the branding and marketing of the products. The inclusion of fruit crops in the Plantation act will also be examined. In addition, small-scale agricultural equipment used in Southeast Asian countries, will also be made available.