Quality certification and accreditation vital:

Value added rubber products to boost revenue by 50 percent

Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI

Sri Lanka will produce high value added rubber products for niche markets using natural rubber to increase exports' revenue by 50 percent by 2014. Moratuwa University Prof. R.A. Attalage told a seminar organized by the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Developers (SMED) of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) at Hotel Cinnamon Lakeside recently.

He said that the aim of the rubber sector is to export value added rubber products only in the future instead of exporting natural rubber without any value addition.

Although Sri Lanka has the best quality natural rubber, it is necessary to obtain quality certification and accreditation for Sri Lanka's rubber products to get recognition in the international market. He proposed that a marketing arm should be set up to promote Sri Lanka's rubber products in line with niche markets.

Elaborating on the strategy for the rubber sector to achieve its objectives, he said that increasing the extent of land under rubber is necessary as a long term strategy to increase the supply and reduce the price volatility.

Lifting import restrictions for high quality rubber to cater to excess demand, promoting latex and other non traditional rubber product FDIs and promote SMEs manufacturing import substitutes and establishment of R and D facilities and improve cohesion among rubber stakeholders are the other priorities. Prof Attalage said that agro management practices will be implemented and high yielding clones and plants and new tapping techniques will be introduced to increase natural rubber production under the strategic plan.

Reviewing rubber plantation programs through a proper survey, encouraging new rubber plantations to non traditional areas and introducing inter cropping programs to diversify cultivation will help increase rubber cultivation.

He said that cost effective, less labour dependent user friendly, energy and environment friendly raw rubber manufacturing would be introduced to increase natural rubber production by upgrading raw rubber manufacturing processes, he said.