Rubber prices likely to rise

The price RSS-four variety touched Rs 117 on April 29 and marginally decreased to Rs 116 on May 1.

The price hovered between Rs 115-117 in the international market during these days, traders said.

The production of rubber has fallen due to unfavourable climatic conditions and the unseasonal rains for the past couple of months.

It declined 60 per cent on an average and there is substantial loss in tapping days due to rain, they said.

The country exported 8,053 tons of natural rubber during January 2008, against 656 tons in January 2007. The total export during April 2007 to January 2008 was 32,163 tons against 52,272 tons in the same period of the previous year, a Rubber Board spokesman told PTI.

Rubber goods manufacturing industry imported 8,663 tons in January 2008, compared to 10,216 tonnes during January 2007. The quantum of imports of natural rubber during the first 10 months of the year 2007-08 was 79,179 tons, against 55,482 tons during the corresponding period of the previous year.

The production of natural rubber during January 2008 rose to 1,03,515 tons compared with 96,450 tons in January 2007.

The cumulative production in the first ten months of the financial year 2007-08 was 7,23,575 tons, against 7,58,835 tons in the corresponding period of the previous year, registering a negative growth of 4.6 per cent, he said.