Rubber output ups 15.3pc in January

Picture for Illustration Purposes. Taken from dustykate.blogspot.com

Malaysia's natural rubber (NR) production rose by 15.3 per cent to 87,957 tonnes in January from December last year, the Statistics Department said today. 

NR production for January also rose 3.3 per cent from the same period last year. 

The department said a total of 93.1 per cent of NR production was contributed by the smallholdings sector and the remaining 6.9 per cent by estates. 

The highest producer of NR on estates was Kedah (23 per cent), followed by Negeri Sembilan (20.1 per cent) and Perak (16.3 per cent). 

Total exports of NR in January decreased 8.6 per cent to 68,296 tonnes compared with the previous month, but, increased 20.8 per cent from the same month last year. 

In a statement, the Department said Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) contributed 95.3 per cent to exports, while that of SMR 20 was 56.2 per cent. 

NR was mainly exported to China (45.8 per cent), followed by Germany (12.2 per cent), the United States (4.3 per cent), Brazil (four per cent), Korea (3.8 per cent),Iran (2.6 per cent), Belgium (2.5 per cent) and Turkey (2.3 per cent). 

The import of NR for the month under review increased by 9.9 per cent from December last year and was up by 67.6 per cent from January last year. 

The main suppliers of NR were Thailand (53.7 per cent) and Vietnam (18.3 per cent), who accounted for 72 per cent of the total imports. 

Domestic consumption of NR was 37,644 tonnes in January, down by 0.5 per cent from the previous month, but 7.2 per cent higher year-on-year. 

The highest consuming industry of NR was the rubber gloves industry with a total of 27,246 tonnes (72.4 per cent), followed by rubber thread (eight per cent) and tyres and tubes (6.8 per cent). 

The three industries consumed more than half the overall domestic consumption in the country at a total of 32,809 tonnes or 87.2 per cent. 

The level of NR stocks in January was recorded at 188,100 tonnes, an increase of 19,023 tonnes or 11.2 per cent month-on-month and 35,714 tonnes or 23.4 per cent year-on-year. 

For the month under review, the average monthly price of latex concentrate was 614.2 sen per kg, up 37.22 sen or 6.5 per cent from December 2012. 

Nevertheless, the price of latex concentrate was 57.06 sen or 8.5 per cent lower from January last year. 

The productivity of NR production on estates was 146.2 kg per hectare in January, an increase of 15.2 kg per hectare or 11.6 per cent from December 2012 and 2.2 kg per hectare or 1.5 per cent year-on-year.