Rubber production up in 2006

Anjana Samarasinghe

INCREASE: The Department of Rubber Development said Sri Lanka has recorded 109 million kg of rubber production last year and it was 104 million in 2005.

An official of the Department told the Daily News that rubber exports were recorded as 46 million Kg last year and in 2005 it was 31.6 million Kg . While rubber exports increased last year local consumption has declined in 2006.

The local consumption was recorded as 63 million Kg last year and it was 72.7 million Kg the previous year. This is due to the higher prices last year and many manufacturers must have switched to other substitutes, the official said.

Sri Lanka has exported 19.8 million Kg of sheet rubber last year. This was 12 million Kg in 2005. Country had also exported 2.49 million Kg of sole crepe rubber and 0.6 million kilos of scrap crepe rubber last year.

Exports of latex crepe were 16.3 million kilos in 2006 and it was 10 million kilos in 2005. ESR exports recorded as 4.5 million kilos while it was 2.1 million kilos 2005. Latex and other rubber exports were recorded as 2.6 million kilos last year.

Still we have not calculated the total earnings that we have gained through total rubber exports and there is a significant growth in the new planting last year. The new planting was reported as 1563 acres while it was 1032 acres in 2005, he said.

But there is a decline in replanting last year which was 1122 acres, the official said.