Malaysia reports double-digit declines in NR production

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Natural rubber production in Malaysia decreased by 13.9 percent year-on-year in September to 35,460 metric tons, according to data released Nov. 10 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

On a quarterly basis, Malaysia's natural rubber production fell by 16.4 percent in the three months to end of September to 110,969 metric tons, according to the official data.

Production of natural rubber in September 2022 for Malaysia was mainly contributed by the smallholders sector, as 87.9 percent, as compared to estates sector at 12.1 percent.

Malaysia's total stocks of natural rubber decreased by 5.7 percent in September to 198,659 metric tons, as compared to 210,768 tons noted for the previous month.

Rubber processing factories, that month, accounted for 90.7 percent of the stocks, followed by: rubber consumers factories, 9.2 percent; and rubber estates 0.1 percent.

Continuing the downward trend, Malaysia exported of natural rubber 54,542 tons in September, 9.4 percent less than in August.

China remained as the main destination for Malaysian natural rubber exports, accounting for 46.5 percent of total exports in September 2022: followed by Germany, 6.1 percent; Brazil, 4.0 percent; Iran, 3.8 percent; and the US, 3.1 percent.

In an analysis of average monthly prices, latex concentrated recorded a month-on-month decrease of 7.4 percent in September to 476.76 sen per kg, while scrap fell by 12.6 percent to 465.86 sen per kg.