NR output up 0.2 pct in May 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s natural rubber production rose 0.2 per cent in May 2018 to 35,789 tonnes as compared to 35,726 tonnes in April 2018, the Statistics Department said in a statement.

It said year- on- year, the production decreased by 18.6 per cent.

“The average price of latex concentrate was recorded at 487.03 sen per kg while the average price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) was 561.11 sen per kg. Both rose 9.3 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively as compared to the average price in April 2018,” it said.

Exports of natural rubber rose by 7.6 per cent to 57,263 tonnes, mainly going to China, Germany, Iran, Turkey and Finland.

Domesticconsumptionofnatural rubber in May 2018 increased 1.5 per cent to 44,043 tonnes.

The department said natural rubber is widely used in the rubber glove industry, which accounts for 33,299 tonnes or 75.6 per cent of the total natural rubber domestic consumption.

The amount of natural rubber stock recorded at the end of May 2018 was 216,674 tonnes, down 14.6 per cent from 253,799 tonnes at the end of April 2018. — Bernama