MARKET COMMENTARY
Natural rubber in the international market is trading in green on Tuesday. Reports that natural rubber production in the second half of this year may be slow because of unfavorable weather supported the sentiments. TOCOM rubber futures inched up and so was SHFE rubber futures. In the local market meanwhile, RSS4 continued to remain trapped in thin ranges in the physical as well as futures market. Quotes for the grade is hovering near Rs.125 a kg for the past few days while the front month August rubber futures has been varying inside Rs.12600-12300 in volume-less trades.
MARKET NEWS
According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries natural rubber production fell by 0.7% (-35,000 MT) to 5.041 million MT in the first half of 2015 as compared to 5.076 million MT in the same period of 2014.
Thailand is set to lobby Vietnam at a meeting in Bangkok this week to join the International Rubber Consortium Ltd (IRCo), a move that would help to stabilise rubber prices.
Vietnam’s rubber exports in the first half of this year rose 22 per cent on year on year basis to about 421300 tonnes according to the nation’s Customs department.
A contract for procurement of 80000 tonnes of Thai rubber us planned to be finalized by September 2015 according to Russian Minister of Industry.
According to preliminary trade data released by the China’s General Administration of Customs rubber imports by the country rose 17.9 per cent to 330000 tonnes in June.
Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production in May 2015 dropped 11.3% to 38,923 tonnes compared with the same period last year, according to the country’s Statistics Department.
According to the Rubber Trade Association of Japan natural rubber imports by the nation rose 17.2 per cent on YoY basis to 62256 metric tonnes.
Based on the Kerala government’s price stabilization project, Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation has decided to procure 5000 tonnes of rubber in the first phase.
Kerala government has issued orders, framing the guidelines for the implementation of a ‘Rubber Production Incentive Scheme’, which guarantees a price of Rs 150 for a kilogram of rubber.
Kerala State Chief Minister informed the Assembly that government would ensure that small-scale rubber growers with two hectares of land or less will get an assured price of Rs.150 a kg.A total of Rs 300 crore has been earmarked in the state budget for ensuring fair price for rubber which will be utilized for this new scheme.
Source: Geofin Comtrade
