The natural rubber (NR) production in India has increased by 4.8 per cent and the consumption by 1.8 per cent during the financial year 2011-12, Rubber Board chairman Sheela Thomas has said. She was delivering the presidential address at the 169th meeting of the Rubber Board here on Monday.
“Production and consumption of NR for the year 2011-12 were 9,03,700 tonnes and 9,64,415 tonnes respectively. The NR consumption in the tyre sector has increased by 5.7 per cent whereas the consumption in non-tyre sector declined by 4.9 per cent.
According to the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA), tyre production and export increased by 5 per cent and 23 per cent respectively in 2011-12. The carryover stock at the end of March, 2012, is 2,36,275 tonnes,” the chairman informed the Board.
Production and consumption of NR for the year 2012-13 are projected at 9,30,000 tonnes and 10,06,000 tonnes respectively with a deficit of 76,000 tonnes. However, there would not be any shortage of NR in the domestic market in 2012-2013 as the projected opening stock of NR in April 2012 is 2,36,275 tonne and as the rubber consuming industry has entitlement to import around 1,50,000 tonnes of NR through duty free channels.
“As per the report from International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), the total production and consumption of NR in the world in 2011 is 10.98 and 10.92 million tonnes respectively. They forecast world production and consumption of NR at 11.33 and 11.20 million tonnes respectively with a surplus of 1,37,000 tonnes during the year 2012. World NR production and consumption in 2013 would be 11.83 and 11.68 million tonnes with a surplus of 1,51,000 tonnes.”
The meeting also decided to conduct the closing ceremony of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Rubber Production Societies (RPSs) in December 2012.