Cambodia's domestic rubber prices rise 44%: report

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's domestic rubber prices rose 44 percent in the past year, according to a report published Thursday by Phnom Penh Post.

The Post quoted Ly Phalla, director general of Rubber Department as saying that the Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 variety was up to 2,435 U.S. dollars per ton at the end of last month from 1,686 U.S. dollars per ton a year earlier as global demand improved.

"There is high demand for rubber in the global vehicle industry, especially from China, while production (globally) has fallen," he was quoted as saying and added that the recent rise in crude oil prices on global markets has also pushed up rubber prices.

Prices have recovered specially in the past five months, he said, following an average price of just 1,500 U.S. dollars per ton in the first half.

"Our rubber price has soared on the Chinese market due to high demand while other (producing) countries like Malaysia, Indonesia...were affected by the storms and flooding which damaged production," he said.

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) which Cambodia joined in September said that production among its 10 members fell 5.1 percent in the 12 months to September.

In 2008, ANRPC members produced over 9.13 million tons of natural rubber, but 2009 production is expected to be only 8.68 million tons.

Cambodia joins rubber association

Monday, September 14, 2009
AFP

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia has joined the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries in the hope of further developing the nation's rubber industry, a government official said Monday.

Ly Phalla, director-general of Cambodia's directorate of rubber, said the ascension to the inter-governmental organisation will bring its burgeoning industry new technology and help with production and marketing.

The Cambodian government had privatised some 41,600 hectares (102,800 acres) of state-owned rubber plantations in recent years, Ly Phalla said.

The country now has some 120,000 hectares of land under rubber cultivation and the government plans to expand this to 150,000 hectares by 2015, he added.

Cambodia is the 10th country to join the rubber association, which includes China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

But while Cambodia hopes to boost its industry, researchers writing in the journal Science in May warned that the expansion of rubber plantations in southeast Asia could have a devastating environmental impact.

The researchers predicted land dedicated to rubber and other farming systems in the region could more than double or triple by 2050, resulting in the drying out of water systems and increased risk of landslides through erosion.

Cambodia to join ANRPC; Philippines to follow

RubberNews.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Aug. 19, 2009)—The Royal Government of Cambodia is joining the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.

Cambodia later this year will join China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam as members. In the latest issue of the ANRPC's statistical bulletin, Djoko Said Damardjati also said that the Republic of Philippines has said it is in the process of completing the process of joining the group.

Chan Sarun, honorable minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia, on July 21 inked relevant documents and nominated H.E. Ly Phalla, director general of the General Directorate of Rubber, to be the country’s official representative.