Agricultural Economics Research Review

The institutional interventions for the promotion of natural rubber (NR) cultivation in Tripura during the past four decades have led to substantial improvement in the household income of beneficiary households among the Economically and Socially Marginalised Groups (ESMGs). Among the schemes, Block Planting Scheme (BPS) has played a crucial role in popularizing the crop in the rural tribal areas of the state. However, the expansion of NR cultivation has not exhibited strong linkage effects on the regional economy due to the poor quality of human capital in utilizing the available infrastructure as well as articulating the appropriate facilities for diversified growth. The study has shown that the accessibility of beneficiary households to infrastructural facilities is better than their availability in the respective villages. However, a higher household income has not been effective in utilizing the available infrastructure for diversification of the sources of income. Therefore, investment in public infrastructure and capacity building of human capital through technical/professional education are necessary to ensure the diversification of income sources and to ensure better linkage effects of natural rubber cultivation on the regional economy.