Malaysia changes policy of its rubber industry<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia announced it was revamping its
\nnatural rubber policy, saying current productivity needed to be
\nenhanced to match rising competition from other producers.<\/p>\n
\"The cabinet has directed my ministry to draw up a new policy
\nfor the rubber industry so that its potential could be maximized
\nfor better returns,\" Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Lim, who launched talks Thursday among experts to help draft
\nthe policy, said a new blueprint for the rubber industry would
\nenhance technology transfer to smallholders and improve yield to
\nmatch that of competing countries.<\/p>\n
\"The yield in smallholdings, which contribute 70 percent of
\nour rubber production, is only 200 kilograms (440 pounds) per
\nhectare (2.47 acres) and this is very much less than that of
\nThailand and Indonesia,\" Lim said.<\/p>\n
\"How can this be when we have good rubber clone stocks which
\ncan produce up to 3,000 kilograms per hectare,\" he asked. \"It is
\na pity that much of the technology we have did not filter down to
\nthe smallholders and the industry,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has fallen behind Thailand and Indonesia in rubber
\nproduction after reigning as the world's number one natural
\nrubber producer for almost a century until 1988.<\/p>\n
Lim said Malaysia had to improve because its competitors were
\nproducing quality rubber, entering the same markets and offering
\nlower prices for the commodity.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's natural and processed rubber exports, mainly to
\nEurope and the United States, totaled five billion ringgit (two
\nbillion dollars) last year. The rubber industry provides
\nemployment to 500,000 people locally.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-changes-policy-of-its-rubber-industry-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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