泰国2009年橡胶产量料4.8%增加至325万吨

　　文华财经（综合编译 李志伟）－－据曼谷2月18日消息，泰国一行业资深人士称，尽管天气状况不利于橡胶生产且南部地区出现分裂势力的暴力活动，但估计泰国2009年橡胶产量料4.8%增加至325万吨。

　　泰国橡胶协会的主席Luckchai Kittipol在参加一个会议时表示，“到2010年，泰国的橡胶产量料超越330万吨，因有新的橡胶林播种。估计今年，泰国的橡胶产量可能升至310万吨，但是这还要取决于天气状况。”

　　他表示，在2005年至2007年，该国政府出资的新橡胶林栽培项目约为120,000公顷。

　　泰国目前是全球最大的橡胶生产国，其2007年的橡胶产量为300万吨。

　　 Thailand has seen rubber acreage grow 26 percent between 1997

　　and 2006. It has also opened new plantations, mostly in the

　　northeast, which are expected to start production in a few years.

　　 "We have areas increasing in the northeast and the east but

　　in the south, they are decreasing year by year because of a

　　shortage in labour," said Kittipol.

　　 Some farmers have also shifted to growing palm oil, whose

　　prices roared to record high above $1,000 a tonne, but new

　　plantations were likely to prevent rubber output from falling, he

　　said.

　　 Thailand's rubber production has been hit by both heavy rains

　　and dry spells, labour shortages and separatist violence in the

　　three provinces in the south, which produce nearly 10 percent of

　　output.

　　 More than 2,800 people have been killed in four years of

　　separatist insurgency.

　　 Thailand mainly exports rubber to China, which is the world's

　　largest consumer. Rubber is used in making tyres, gloves and

　　condoms.

　　 Kittipol said Thailand's rubber exports could increase to

　　2.95 million tonnes in 2008, up only slightly from the 2.90

　　million tonnes estimated in 2007 because of an increase in

　　domestic consumption and as local tyre makers boosted output.

　　 "(Domestic) consumption was about 350,000 tonnes in 2007. We

　　forecast, this year's should be about 400,000 tonnes," he said.

　　 Global rubber consumption is forecast to grow 2.7 percent

　　this year after rising 5.7 percent in 2007 -- the fastest in

　　three years on growing demand in key markets, the International

　　Rubber Study Group earlier this month.

　　 Global synthetic rubber consumption was estimated to have

　　increased by 6 percent to 13.19 million tonnes in 2007, while

　　natural rubber consumption rose by 5.4 percent to 9.71 million

　　tonnes.