Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production in May 2015 dropped 11.3% to 38,923 tonnes compared with the same period last year, the Statistics Department said.
Month-on-month, however, saw an increase in rubber production by 8.6%.
The department, in a statement today, said the smallholding sector contributed 91.2% to the total production, while the remaining was from the estate sector.
Export of NR in May 2015 declined 31.9% to 40,513 tonnes from May 2014, while on month-on-month basis, it slipped 17.4% or 8,546 tonnes.
The department said Standard Malaysia Rubber (SMR) contributed 92.1% of the total NR exports.
The commodity was mainly exported to China (36.2%) followed by Germany (16.3%), the US (5.7%), Iran (4.3%), Brazil (3.4%), and South Korea (2.5%).
Domestic consumption of NR improved 2% to 38,860 tonnes from a year ago, while month-on-month showed a dropped of 2.6%.
At the end of May 2015, NR stocks stood at 132,925 tonnes, up 1.8 % year-on-year, but down 24.6% from April 2015.
The average monthly price of latex concentrate fell 2.2 % or 10.2 sen to 447.58 sen per kg in May 2015 compared with the same period last year, while on month-on-month basis, the price increased 8.8% or 36.27 sen.
The number of paid workers engaged in rubber estates in May 2015 was 12,199, with salaries and wages paid amounting to RM13.4 million.
Productivity in May 2015 eased 2.7% to 88.2 kilogramme per hectare from May 2014, but jumped 28% from the previous month. – The Malaysian Insider