NR output up 18.5 % in September 2015
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production in September 2015 registered 67,971 tonnes, up by 10,605 tonnes (+18.5 per cent) compared with the preceding month.
Year-on-year, production also recorded an increase of 12.7 per cent, the Statistics Department said in a statement yesterday.
It said the smallholdings sector was the largest producer of Malaysia’s NR (91.9 per cent), whilst the rest came from estates.
On a month-on-month basis, the smallholding and estate sectors showed an increase of 19.9 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively.
NR exports in September amounted to 61,231 tonnes, down by 6,539 tonnes (-9.6 per cent) compared with the previous month, while year-on-year, it increased by 6,768 tonnes (+12.4 per cent).
Of the total exports, Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) contributed 93.3 per cent, whereby 66.1 per cent was attributed to SMR 20.
The commodity was mainly exported to the China (52.9 per cent), followed by Germany (12.3 per cent), Iran (8.2 per cent), the United States (5.1 per cent), Taiwan (1.8 per cent), Brazil (1.7 per cent), France (1.5 per cent), Turkey (1.4 per cent) and South Korea (1.3 per cent).
NR imports in September 2015 totalled 80,865 tonnes, up by 10,228 tonnes (+14.5 per cent) from August and 7.8 per cent year-on-year.
Thailand (54.1 per cent) and Vietnam (21.8 per cent) were the main suppliers.
Domestic consumption of NR was recorded at 38,737 tonnes for the month under review, which fell by 2,140 tonnes (-5.2 per cent), but higher by 1,426 tonnes (+3.8 per cent) year-on- year.
In September, the level of stocks was recorded at 136,964 tonnes, up by 7,559 tonnes (+5.8 per cent), compared with that held last month but decreased by 6.0 per cent year-on-year.
The average monthly price of latex concentrate was 412.85 sen per kilogramme, a decrease of 4.68 sen (-1.1 per cent) from the previous month, but increased by 19.72 sen (+5.0 per cent) when compared to September 2014. — Bernama