Thailand not to limit exports of natural rubber

BANGKOK, December 19 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has maintained a policy on no limit of natural rubber exports to the world market. Thai Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach stressed on the policy on Wednesday, reasoning that the prices of locally-grown natural rubber products have been on the rise, thanks to the government's measures on promoting more use of the Thai rubber produce. Grisada confirmed as baseless rumors that Thailand has agreed to join a proposed move, raised by Indonesia and Malaysia at last week's meeting of the International Tripatite Rubber Concil(ITRC) in Malaysia, on cutting natural rubber exports to the world market next year to boost the produce prices. The minister told journalists that he has issued an urgent order for the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) and Thai agricultural attaches in all foreign economies to clarify the Thai government's stance to the administrations in their respective areas. The minister acknowledged that the price of ribbed smoked sheets from locally-grown natural rubber on the domestic market has risen to about 43.19 baht per kilogram, from about 39.79 baht per kilogram early this month, an about 8.5 per cent increase, thanks mainly to the Thai government's measures, through cooperation of all relevant parties, to promote and encourage more use of locally-grown natural rubber for the construction of roads and community streets across the country and for the production of tyres of all types of vehicles in the country. (TNA)