Natural Rubber (NR) production decreased by 5.1 per cent in December 2024 (38,299 tonnes) as compared to November 2024 (40,341 tonnes). Year-on-year comparison showed that the production of NR increased by 26.2 per cent (December 2023: 30,342 tonnes). Production of NR in December 2024 for Malaysia was mainly contributed by smallholders sector (89.4%) as compared to estates sector (10.6%).
Total stocks of NR in December 2024 increased by 1.4 per cent to 167,745 tonnes as compared to 165,384 tonnes in November 2024. Rubber processors factory contributed 88.7 per cent of the stocks followed by rubber consumers factory (11.2%) and rubber estates (0.1%).
Exports of Malaysia's NR amounted to 44,338 tonnes in December 2024, increased 1.8 per cent as against November 2024 (43,562 tonnes). P.R. China remained as the main destination for NR exports which accounted 49.0 per cent of total exports in December 2024 followed by Germany (12.9%), the United Arab Emirates (7.3%), the United States of America (3.7%) and Portugal (3.3%). The exports performance was contributed by NR-based product such as gloves, tyre, tube and rubber thread. Gloves were the main exports of rubber-based products with a value of RM1.5 billion in December 2024, an increase of 6.2 per cent as compared to November 2024 (RM1.4 billion).
Analysis of the average monthly price showed that Concentrated Latex recorded an increase of 2.3 per cent (December 2024: 699.35 sen per kg; November 2024: 683.48 sen per kg) while Scrap increased by 3.9 per cent (December 2024: 757.28 sen per kg; November 2024: 728.68 sen per kg). Trend of prices for all Standard Malaysian Rubber (S.M.R) increased between 2.3 per cent and 3.5 per cent.
The performance of the fourth quarter of 2024 showed natural rubber production increased by 10.7 per cent to 117,040 tonnes as compared to 105,715 tonnes in the third quarter of 2024. The annual performance of Malaysia's natural rubber production in the fourth quarter of 2024 recorded an increase of 24.6 per cent as compared to the fourth quarter 2023 (93,956 tonnes).
Source: DOSM