VIETNAM: Rubber export turnover forecast to hit 1.5bn USD

Viet Nam is expected to rake in 1.5 billion US Dollars

from rubber exports this year due to growing demand

for natural latex and increasing prices in the world

market.

Le Quang Thung, President of the Viet Nam Rubber

Association (VRA), told a conference that was held in

Ho Chi Minh City on January 18 to launch the

association’s plans for 2008.

Thung said the price of exported rubber latex now

stands at 41 million VND (roughly 2,560 USD) per tonne

– the highest price to date.

The country has been eager to grow high-yield rubber

varieties and apply new farming techniques in an

effort to raise average output to 2.5 tonnes per ha in

2015 and 3 tonnes per ha in 2020 from the current 1.6

tonnes per ha.

At the meeting, participants agreed that in 2008 the

association will focus on market research, helping

local businesses improve product quality, and register

national trademark protection for prestigious

enterprises.

In addition, VRA will also increase trade promotion

activities, send delegations abroad to inquire

experiences, and seek opportunities to cooperate with

foreign partners.

Viet Nam , currently housing around 495,000 ha of

rubber trees, plans to increase the acreage to 700,000

ha by 2010. It has also grown hundreds of thousands of

ha in Laos and Cambodia.

The country shipped abroad 719,000 tonnes of rubber

latex last year, earning some 1.4 billion USD, up 1.6

percent in volume and 8.8 percent in value over the

previous year.

(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)