Natural rubber output dips 5.4% in Nov, imports up by 49%

Natural rubber production declined by 5.4 per cent to 88,500 tonnes in November, as compared to 93,500 tonnes in the year-ago period due to heavy rain in the key producing region.

However, the cumulative production during April-November, 2010 period rose by 2.9 per cent to 5,46,150 tonnes, as against 5,30,900 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, a senior Rubber Board official said. 

Natural rubber imports during last month rose by nearly 49 per cent to 10,744 tonnes from 7,215 tonnes in November 2009.

During April-November, 2010, the imports rose to 1,43,468 tonnes from 1,39,321 tonnes in the corresponding period of previous fiscal.

"Imports increased as a result of increase in the domestic prices of sheet and block rubber than international prices during the first half of the year," the official said.

The consumption of natural rubber rose to 82,000 tonnes in November, 2010 from 80,500 tonnes during the same month last year, the data showed.

The aggregate consumption during the first eight months of 2010-11 fiscal grew by 2.9 per cent to 6,32,550 tonnes from 6,14,815 tonnes in the year-ago period.