Non-ANRPC members push up NR supply forecast

Kuala Lumpur – The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) has upgraded its forecast for natural rubber (NR) production in 2023, due mainly to a strong contribution by non-member Cote d’Ivoire.

In its November monthly report, the association predicted a 3.5% year-on-year rise in NR production to 15.145 million tonnes for 2023 – 1.5% higher than its previous forecast.

ANRPC linked the growth in output primarily to “better-than-expected" production in emerging non-ANRPC member countries, most notably Cote d’Ivoire in west Africa.

Meanwhile, the association noted that some members, including China and Malaysia, had trimmed their output forecasts, due to “adverse climatic conditions, diminished interest in harvesting, leaf fall diseases, and other factors."

With this revised outlook, ANRPC members' share of global production has decreased from 84.1% to 82.5%, noted the Kuala Lumpur-based industry body.

The shift, it commented, largely reflected Cote d’Ivoire's emergence as “a significant producing country with its fertile soils and high-yielding crops.” 

For 2023, non-ANRPC members are predicted to grow their contribution by 13.8% year-on-year, reaching 2.653 million tonnes.

Cote d'Ivoire is expected to contribute “over more than half of” the total, according to the ANRPC's latest monthly report.