Putrajaya will build more rubberised roads in a bid to shore up natural rubber prices, says Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.
“We should increase the use of rubber and the government is targeting to utilise 10% of total rubber production this year,” he said, adding that Indonesia and Thailand had also agreed to do the same.
Uggah said this after the ministerial level Special Session of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) in Kuala Lumpur today.
Top producer Thailand, which announced similar plans to use rubber for roads, pavements and reservoirs, uses 3.5 tonnes of natural rubber for every 1km of road.
Uggah also said Malaysian rubber prices were expected to rebound this year, lifted by renewed demand from China. – Bernama