NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCTION 22.4 PCT UP IN MAY 2021 - DOSM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 -- Malaysia’s natural rubber production increased to 22.4 per cent to 28,164 tonnes in May 2021 compared to 23,013 tonnes in the previous month, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Year-on-year comparison also showed an increase of 33.8 per cent.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the smallholdings sector was the main contributor to the natural rubber production at 25,662 tonnes (91.1 per cent), while the estate sector accounted for 8.9 per cent of total production in May 2021.

“Month-on-month production of smallholdings sector and the estate sector showed an increase of 24.7 per cent and 3.0 per cent respectively,” he said in a statement on the monthly rubber statistics today.

However, he said estate production in May was 2,502 tonnes with a slower growth rate of 3.0 per cent monthly basis with tapped area declining by 0.7 per cent.

According to Mohd Uzir, productivity of natural rubber production in the estates was 56.3 kilogramme (kg) per hectare in May 2021, decreased by 24.7 per cent as compared to May 2020.

Meanwhile, month-on-month comparison showed the productivity increased by 3.7 per cent from 54.3 kilogramme per hectare from the previous month, he said.

“The average price of latex concentrate rose to 636.76 sen per kg compared to 623.40 sen per kg in April 2021,” he said.

He also said Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) also increased from 667.85 sen per kg to 686.09 sen per kg for the same period.

Meanwhile, stocks of natural rubber decreased 6.4 per cent in May 2021 to 242,194 tonnes as compared to 258,840 tonnes in April 2021, while stocks in rubber processors contributed 90.0 per cent and the remaining were rubber consumers and rubber estates.

Nevertheless, Mohd Uzir said total domestic consumption for natural rubber increased 4.1 per cent to 42,358 tonnes as compared to the same month last year.

On the contrary, month-on-month consumption dropped by 10.0 per cent.

He said the use of natural rubber for rubber gloves was the highest with 32,573 tonnes or 76.9 per cent of the total domestic consumption in May 2021, followed by rubber thread with 4,092 tonnes (9.7 per cent) as well as tyres and tube at 2,267 tonnes (5.4 per cent).

“The use of natural rubber for rubber glove manufacturing in May decreased by 6.2 per cent compared to 34,709 tonnes in April,” he said.

On exports, he said the offtake of Malaysia's natural rubber amounted to 48,111 tonnes in May, a decrease of 13.6 per cent against 55,696 tonnes in April.

“China remains the main destination for natural rubber exports with a share of 54.3 per cent from total exports in May followed by Germany (4.1 per cent), the United States (US) (3.1 per cent), Turkey (2.8 per cent) and South Korea (1.6 per cent),” he said. 

He also said rubber gloves was the main export with a value of RM5.5 billion in May, a decrease of 17.4 per cent compared to RM6.7 billion the previous month.

“The main countries for rubber glove exports are the US with a value of RM2 billion, Germany (RM317 million) and India (RM154.8 million),” he added. 

-- BERNAMA