Rubber Output From Key Growers May Rise 4.9% in 2012, Group Says

By Supunnabul Suwannakij
July 1 — Natural rubber output from growers representing 93 percent of global supplies is estimated to increase 4.9 percent to 10.828 million metric tons this year, according to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.
The estimate is higher than previous forecasts, boosted by an expected increase in production in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, it said today in a monthly bulletin. The group in April forecasted 2012 supply of 10.3 million metric tons.
Indonesia, the second largest grower, may see production rising by 8.2 percent to 3.26 million tons, the bulletin said.
Output in Malaysia may add 0.4 percent to 1 million tons.
Vietnam may produce 915,000 tons this year, higher than the 860,000 tons targeted earlier, it said.
The group’s members, which include China and India, expect to import 4.05 million tons this year, a rise of 4.6 percent from 2011. The ANRPC accounts for 57 percent of global demand.

Source: Bloomberg