Natural rubber production up 4.3% in September

Increased area under rain guarding system and favourable weather condition surged India's natural rubber production by 4.3 per cent in September to 77,500 tonnes as compared to the same month last year.

The country had produced 74,300 tonnes of rubber in September, 2009, the Rubber Board said in a statement.

The statement, however, did not mention the details of how much acreage increased under rain guarding system, which prevents rain from interfering with the rubber collection. 

During the April-September period this fiscal, the production of natural rubber (NR) -- mainly used in tyre manufacturing -- increased to 3.75 lakh tonnes from 3.48 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.  

"Production of natural rubber up to September, 2010, increased by 7.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year due to the increased percentage of rain guarding, favourable weather conditions and attractive price," it said.

Rubber consumption in September this year, however, dipped marginally to 78,765 tonnes from 78,000 tonnes a year-ago. However, the consumption grew by 2 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal vis-a-vis the same period last fiscal.

The country consumed 4.65 lakh tonnes of rubber in the April-September period of the current fiscal as compared to 4.56 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period last fiscal. 

"The growth in consumption of natural rubber increased by 2 per cent up to September 2010, out of which automotive tyre sector's consumption increased by 4 per cent," it said.

According to the Rubber Board estimates, India is likely to produce 8.93 lakh tonnes of rubber in the current fiscal, while consumption would be around 9.78 lakh tonnes.