Business Standard reported that after recording a fall in April and May, domestic natural rubber production increased 65.8% in June, when compared with the same month last year.

The production in June this year rose to 63,000 tonne, as against 38,000 tonne in June, 2013, as per the latest provisional data of the Rubber board.

Supported by higher production in June, production in the first quarter of the current financial year increased 11.3% to 167,000 tonne from 150,000 tonne for the same period of last financial year. Higher production in June was mainly on account of lower monsoon showers, which helped growers to continue with the tapping of trees.

Rubber production had dropped marginally during April and May of this year, when compared with the same months of last fiscal year. Production dropped 3.8% in April and 10.2% in May as against the respective months in 2013.

Normally rain affects tapping and processing of rubber, which happens during June and July.

While the consumption of natural rubber increased 5% in this June and the cumulative consumption got up 2% during April to June period.

The Rubber board data records a consumption of 86,000 tonne in June compared to 81,710 tonne in last June. The overall consumption in April to June period was 251,000 tones as against 246,015 tonne.

The sharp increase in imports continued in the month of June also and 32,550 tones were imported as against 23,001 tonnes, registering a growth of 42%. There was a whopping increase of 65% of the overall import of the commodity during April to June period. 96,392 tonnes were brought in during the period as against 58,345 tonnes in the same period of last financial year.

According to the data rubber export was very meager during June as the shipment was just 60 tones in June and the cumulative figure for Q1 was 119 tones as against 1888 tones, registering a fall of 94%. In April 38 tones were exported and in May this was 21 tones only. The board's estimates indicate that at the end of this June the total stock in the country is 207,000 tones. This was 188,000 tones in June 2013.
 

Source:- steelguru.com