Secretary-General of the Association of National Rubber Producing Countries, Kamarul Baharain Basir said that the global rubber supply have increased to 4.7 percent to 10.83 million tonnes this 2012 while the offtake will likely to boost by 4.8 percent to 11.59 million tonnes.
Additionally, he said in the 4th Indian Rubber Summit and Dinner in Kochi that China would take 3.67 million tonnes of that consumption and India will take one million tonnes. He also said that the Governments should offer incentives to rubber farmers who have boosted up the production to keep up with the demand-supply gap.
Mr. Basic also said that fortuities for production and the demand for natural rubber around the world are encouraging as the economy of US, China, Japan and Europe is getting better.
James Jacob, Director, Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), Kottayam, said that with the assistance of satellites, the Institute has developed the ability to determine areas that can possibly be cultivated to grow new rubber plantation.
From the satellite images taken by the RRII, they have estimated that Tripura will have in March about 58,637 hectares of rubber plantation and potential rubber plantation area of 1,000,000 hectares while the North-east has areas of about 4,500,500 hectares that can be cultivated to rubber plantation.
Rajiv Budhraja, Director-General, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, said that there has been unprecedented capacity supply of tyres for the last 4-5 years as the demand for it have risen.
Vinod Simon, President, All-India Rubber Industries Association, also said that India can become the 2nd largest player by 2020, next to China.
India is the fourth largest commercial vehicles market and the second largest two-wheeler market in the world and is estimated to become the world’s hub for automobile.
It was suggested by the former Chairman of the Rubber board, P.C Cyriac to use a three-tier mechanism in the production of rubber to boost the production and marketing of the country. (PRA)