Big demand for Lanka’s natural rubber

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

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There is a tremendous demand for Sri Lanka’s natural rubber from countries such as India, USA, China and Europe and rubber prices have gone up as a result, said Chairman, Colombo Rubber Traders Association, Anura Edirisinghe.

Referring to India, he said they exported raw hides during the early stage of the footwear industry but when they found that the footwear industry had developed they banned exporting raw hides.

As a result the finished leather in India was up to international level and now they are contemplating to ban it. “We too must do likewise to value added rubber products. He said 180 million kilos of rubber were produced during 2007, an increase of nine million over the previous year.

The increase in production was due to the rehabilitation of rubber plantations. Although the prices for rubber products in 2007 were not as high as in 2006 the price remained between Rs. 230 to Rs. 250 a kilo in 2007. The lucrative prices helped growers to invest in replanting, he said.

However, primitive methods in rubber production thwarted the growth of the rubber industry in the country.