The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), a 11-member international organisation, projects 6.2 per cent growth in the production of the commodity this year. The expected growth matches the 6.4 per cent increase registered in 2010.
The latest estimates of ANRPC project global output to be at 10.06 million tonnes in 2011 as against 9.47 million tonnes last year.
The increase in output is expected due to a rise in the area under natural rubber. An additional 203,000 hectares has been brought under natural rubber this year.
The total sown area is expected to be 7.19 million hectares compared with 6.99 million hectares in 2010. The average per hectare yield is likely to increase to 1,398 kg per hectare from 1,355 kg per hectare last year.
Supply from Thailand, the world’s largest producer, accounting for 34 per cent of the global supply, is likely to rise 5.5 per cent or 3.43 million tonnes this year due to area expansion.
About 114,550 hectares of trees planted in 2004 and a portion of 173,000 hectares planted in 2005 are expected to be tapped now.
ANRPC projects an increase of eight per cent in the supply from Indonesia and the estimated supply for this year is 2.95 million tonnes. As the world’s second-largest producer, Indonesia accounts for 29 per cent of the total global supply.
In Malaysia, supply would be around 975,000 tonnes as against 1.05 million tonnes targeted by the government.
India’s supply may touch 884,000 tonnes this year, up 3.9 per cent from last year due to an estimated 14,000 hectares increase in the area and better yield. Incidentally, India at present has the highest natural rubber productivity across the globe.
Production in other leading producing countries like Vietnam and China is also estimated to increase this year, according to ANRPC data. Vietnam will have a production of 755,000 tonnes, China (647,000 tonnes), Sri Lanka (153,000 tonnes), Philippines (99,000 tonnes) and Cambodia will supply 42,000 tonnes in the current year.
