Rubber Board chairman Sajen Peter said here on Monday that there was a rise in the production and consumption of natural rubber in the country.
Mr. Peter was delivering the presidential address at the 164th meeting of the Rubber Board at the Rubber Research Institute of India here.
He said production of natural rubber in the country during April–September 2010 was higher by 7.6 per cent over the corresponding period in the previous year. Domestic natural rubber consumption had also increased by two per cent during this period. Consumption in the automotive tyre sector grew by 4.1 per cent. However, the non-tyre sector recorded a decline of 1.3 per cent, he said.
Mr. Peter informed the meeting that globally natural rubber production and consumption has also increased by 5.9 per cent and 17.8 per cent respectively during the first half of 2010. According to reports of the International Rubber Study Group, the global stock of natural rubber is very low at 9,32,000 tonne at the end of June 2010. World production and consumption of natural rubber in 2010 are projected at 10.25 and 10.31 million tonnes respectively.
The Board members also conducted a demonstration of the functioning of the prototype of a mechanised tapping knife. The knife has been developed by Z. Mathew, Adjunct Professor of the Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirapally.