Malaysia Produces 386,512 Tonnes Of Natural Rubber In 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Feb (Bernama) -- Malaysia has produced  386,512 tonnes of natural rubber in 2024, comprising 367,238 tonnes of dry rubber and 19,274 tonnes of latex rubber, said Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Chan Foong Hin.

For both local downstream industry usage and exports, natural rubber totalled 1.06 million tonnes, with 215,816 tonnes allocated for local downstream use, he said.

Chan said this in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Ku Abd Rahman Ku Ismail (PN-Kubang Pasu) during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today regarding targets for increasing latex production annually and in the coming years.

In response to a question on the timeline for Malaysian Sustainability Natural Rubber (MSNR) certification, Chan stated that the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) aims to complete MSNR compliance inspections for 115,000 rubber smallholders and over 300 estates in Peninsular Malaysia by Dec 30, 2025.

"As part of the preparations, starting from July 1, 2024, MRB has actively conducted MSNR compliance inspections on rubber smallholders and MRB license holders through face-to-face surveys and the collection of garden and premises location information," he said.

Chan added that this initiative aligns with the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which is set to take effect on the same date.

-- BERNAMA