Natural Rubber

Rubber experts have their eyes on Siem Reap next month, when it hosts a summit on the growing demand for rubber, lower production costs and higher prices. The summit will discuss investment opportunities for the vegetable gum, and best practices for managing trees with expert analysis on the major rubber-producing countries, including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and China.

The summit is at the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort in Siem Reap, 21 February to 22 February, and will be opened by the Director-General of rubber in Cambodia, Ly Phalla. It will examine the prospect of rubber in Cambodia, providing an overview of the country in relation to the availability of land and incentives for foreign investors. Thai Rubber Association president Kittipol Luckchai will also discuss new areas for cultivation of rubber.

Other organizations sending speakers include Tradewinds Plantation Berhad, on the development of rubber in a forest of old sugar cane farming, and Green Yield Berhad, discussing the potential for increased production of natural rubber in West Africa. LMC International Ltd. provides an analysis of recent trends in world production of tires and their impact on the demand for natural rubber. The summit comes at a crucial time for the rubber industry worldwide. In Tokyo yesterday, rubber prices for June delivery met a record high of $5.230 per tonne.