Int'l group sees growth in PHL rubber industry

An international organization of rubber-producing countries sees further growth in the rubber sector in the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia said. The embassy said the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) cited Zamboanga and Basilan for their natural conditions, which it said are conducive to rubber plantation. Citing ANRPC data, the embassy said the average annual yield per tapped area in the Philippines was 1,420 kilogram per hectare in 2010 – comparable to Malaysia's 1,480, and China's 1,143. In the Philippines, 129,500 hectares are under natural rubber cultivation, mostly in Basilan, Zamboanga del Sur and North Cotabato. The ANRPC's secretary general, Dato' Dr. Kamarul Baharain Basir, disclosed this during a courtesy call on Philippine Ambassador-designate Jose Eduardo Malaya last October 7 at the Philippine Embassy. "If the full potential of the natural rubber plantation in these areas is fully harnessed, it could contribute significantly to sustainable development and peace and order in Mindanao," Malaya said. Also during the courtesy call, Kamarul relayed to the Embassy its invitation for the Philippines to participate in the upcoming ANRPC Annual Assembly in Hainan, China on October 31 to November 5. Meanwhile, Malaya conveyed to ANRPC the Philippines' keen interest in engaging in a closer technical cooperation with ANRPC and its Kuala Lumpur-based affiliate International Research Development Board (IRDB), to maximize the potential of rubber production in the Philippines. The ANRPC is an inter-governmental organization established in 1970. It aims to foster cooperation among the different governments of natural rubber-producing countries. It has 11 members including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. ANRPC members' production accounts for about 92 percent of the global production of natural rubber in 2010. The Philippines joined ANRPC only on April 26, 2010. — LBG, GMA News