KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) — Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production in July 2015 rose 1.8 per cent, or 956 tonnes, to 54,728 tonnes compared to the previous month.
However, on a year-on-year (yoy) basis, the production showed a drop of 9.3 per cent, or 5,603 tonnes, the Statistics Department said in a statement today.
It said the smallholding sector contributed 91.2 per cent to the total and the estate sector the rest.
On a month-on-month basis, the smallholding sector recorded an increase of two per cent while estate production fell by 0.1 per cent.
NR exports in July 2015 amounted to 80,288, an increase of 13,903 tonnes, or 20.9 per cent, from the previous month and 28,516 tonnes, or 55.1 per cent, yoy.
Of the the total exports, Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) contributed 96.7 per cent that comprised 70.6 per cent of SMR 20.
The commodity was mainly exported to China (62.9 per cent), followed by Germany (10.5 per cent), Iran (4.2 per cent), US (3.7 per cent), Finland (1.6 per cent), Taiwan (1.3 per cent), South Korea (1.1 per cent), France (0.9 per cent) and Mexico (0.9 per cent).
NR imports in July 2015 totalled 78,608 tonnes, up 10,123 tonnes, or 14.8 per cent, from June, but fell 3,970 tonnes, or -4.8 per cent, yoy.
Thailand (48.7 per cent) and Vietnam (27.8 per cent) were the main suppliers.
Domestic consumption of NR was recorded at 40,129 tonnes in July 2015, a drop of 644 tonnes (-1.6 per cent) from June 2015 but up by 3,708 tonnes (+10.2 per cent) yoy.
At end-July 2015, the level of NR stocks totalled 129,694 tonnes, down by 1,387 tonnes (-1.1 per cent) as compared with June 2015.
The average monthly price of latex concentrate slipped by 11.7 per cent cent to 438.23 sen per kilogramme in July 2015 compared with the previous month.
On yoy basis, it was 3.5 per cent, or 15.67 sen, lower.
The total number of persons engaged in rubber estates at end-July 2015 was 12,180, where 12,176 were paid employees with total salaries and wages paid amounting to RM14.9 million.
Productivity in July 2015 increased by 0.2 per cent to 124.9 kg per hectare (ha) from June 2015, but decreased by 5.9 per cent, or 7.9 kg per ha, in the same month last year.
