Global NR production down by 4.6 percent in first half

ERJ staff report (DS)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), global production of natural rubber (NR)is estimated to have fallen by 4.6 percent so far in 2009, based on data available in July. Falls in output from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam -- a members of the International Rubber Consortium which has committed to restricting supply -- were offset by higher output from China and Sri Lanka.

Thailand, the world's biggest NR producer, saw production in the first half of the year fell by 12.4 percent compared on a rolling 12-month basis. Production during the 12 months to June 2009 was 2.906 million tonnes showing 6.0% fall from 2008 (January to December).

Indonesia's NR output fell by 6 percent in the first half of this year from a year earlier. Production in the 12 months ended June 2009 was 2.665 million tonnes, down by 3.1 percent compared to 2008 full year.

Malaysia's NR production ell by 32.6 percent in the first half of this year. Production during the 12 months to June 2009 stood at 889 thousand tonnes down by 17.1 percent on the 12 months ended December 2008.

India's NR output fell by 10.9 percent in January-July 2009 compared to the first six months of 2008. The country produced 832 thousand tonnes of NR during the 12 months to July 2009, registering 5.6 percent fall from the 12 months ended December 2008. Rubber Board of India anticipates 0.4 percent drop in production in August to October 2009 from the same period previous year.

Vietnam witnessed a 7.3 percent fall in production in the first seven months of the current year, compared with the same period in 2008. Production during the 12 months to July 2009 was 645 kt down by 2.7 percent on the output in the 12 months to December 2008. Vietnam Rubber Association anticipates a 4.3 percent year-to-year drop in production during August-October 2009.

NR output rose in China and Sri Lanka which partially offset the otherwise-drastic fall in global NR supply. Chinese production in the first seven months grew by 54.6 percent on the same period in 2008. This strong growth partly reflects low output in the first half of 2008. The country is estimated to have produced 649 kt of NR during the 12 months ended July 2009 which represents an 18.4 percent rise over production in the 12 months to December 2008. The output growth is anticipated to moderate to merely 2.7 percent in August- October 2009, according to the China Rubber Research Institute in Hainan.

In Sri Lanka, production rose 3.6 percent year to- year during January to July 2009. The country produced 132 kt of NR during the 12 months ended July 2009, up by 2.2 percent over output in the 12 months to December 2008 (January-December).

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August statistical bulletin from ANRPC