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Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
SINGAPORE (Reuters): Global natural rubber output is expected to rise to 10.529 million tons in 2012, up 2.6 per cent from 2011 because of better yields in some key growers, the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) said on Wednesday.
In early February, the ANRPC pegged 2012 production at 10.450 million tons. It also revised last year’s output to 10.262 million tons from 10.127 million tons estimated earlier.
“From an estimated 2.1 million hectares of yielding area, having an average yield of 1,780 kg a hectare, Thailand is expected to produce 3.740 million tons in 2012, up 4.7 per cent,” said the ANRPC, referring to the world’s largest producer.
“That takes the country’s pie in ANRPC’s total output to 35.5 per cent,” said the group, which collects data from member countries. The ANRPC’s members include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Member countries account for more than 90 per cent of global output and exports.
Output in second-largest producer Indonesia is likely to fall 1.4 per cent to 2.923 million tons this year due to an expected marginal decline in the average yield and yielding areas.
“More than 60 per cent of the country’s yielding trees are over-aged and low-yielding,” said the ANRPC.
“With about 3.466 million hectares of land currently being occupied by the crop, the country offers tremendous potential for increasing the output if the large extent of low-yielding trees is uprooted and replanted with improved clones.”
Third-largest producer Malaysia could churn out 1.0 million tons of rubber in 2012 from 996,000 tons in 2011.
“About 20,600 hectares of trees planted during 2005 and a small portion of 20,200 hectares planted during 2006 can reach the yielding girth this year,” it said.
“But, trees from 40,000 hectares will be uprooted this year if the government’s targeted replanting program succeeds.”
Physical rubber prices have gone up more than 19 per cent in the past month after top producer Thailand approved a 15 billion baht ($ 496 million) plan to buy rubber from farmers at 120 baht per kg to support domestic prices.
