Kuala Lumpur (Bernama) -- Natural rubber production rose by 9.3 percent to 97,717 tonnes in June 2007 compared with the previous month. The smallholding sector contributed 94.3 percent of total production while the remaining 5.7 percent came from the estate sector, according to the Statistics Department. However, total production in the first six months of this year declined 3.5 percent to 589,379 tonnes when compared with the same period last year, it said in a statement Tuesday. Natural rubber exports in June 2007 increased by 11.2 percent to 81,069 tonnes when compared with the previous month but exports decreased by 7.0 percent when compared with same month last year, the department said. Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) constituted 94.4 of total exports, it added. During the January to June 2007 period, natural rubber exports were mainly to China with 156,922 tonnes, Germany (68,167 tonnes), the United States (29,107 tonnes), South Korea (28,685 tonnes), France (25,026 tonnes), Brazil (16,320 tonnes) and Portugal (11,523 tonnes). Total exports to these seven countries accounted for 69.4 percent of the overall natural rubber exports. Natural rubber imports in June 2007 were up marginally by 0.6 percent at 46,844 tonnes when compared with the previous month, the department said. The main type of rubber imported was latex concentrate which accounted for 54.7 percent of total imports, the department said.
