February natural rubber output up 14.9%

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's natural rubber production increased by 14.9% in February 2018 to 63,246 tonnes from 55,039 tonnes in the previous month, according to Department of Statistics.
However, on a a year-on-year basis, production decreased by 28.7%, it said in a statement.
It said the average monthly price of latex concentrate and Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 in February 2018 were 456.69 sen per kilogramme (kg) and 563.14 sen per kg, decreased by 3.8% and 4.2% respectively from January 2018.
Malaysia's natural rubber exports grew 5.8% to 49,627 tonnes in February compared with January. The five main destinations of natural rubber exports were China, Germany, Iran, Finland and US.
Domestic consumption of natural rubber shrinked by 10.5% to 39,586 tonnes within the same period, while the rubber glove industry remained the natural rubber domestic consumer at 74.9%.
The department said the level of natural rubber stocks increased by 11.4% to 285,616 tonnes at the end of February 2018.