KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—The Republic of the Union of Myanmar has joined the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries, bringing total membership to 13. Countries included in the ANRPC represent 90.5 percent of the global NR output.
For the 12 months ended June 2018, Myanmar produced 242,000 metric tons of natural rubber, harvesting from trees that sit on roughly 311,000 hectacres throughout the country. The country's annual yield is low—about 777 kilograms per hectacre—because many plantations are occupied by clones with low-yeild potential, according to the ANRPC.
However, the association said that Myanmar also has 346,000 hectares of young rubber plants which have not attained the yielding maturity. It expects the country's annual NR production to exceed 500,000 metric tons within six years, once the youngest trees have been tapped.
Myanmar currently exports 150,000 tons of natural rubber.
The country also has four tire manufacturing facilities, three of which are state-owned.
The next ANRPC assembly and the 11th annual rubber conference will beheld in Chiang Rai, Thailand Oct. 8-13. The rubber conference, planned for Oct. 8, will explore emerging megatrends and how the industry can adapt.