Indonesia Has Large Potential To Expand Rubber Industry

Jakarta, Sept 10 (Antara) - Indonesia still has large potential to expand rubber industry, considering that the country`s current rubber productivity is only one tonne per hectare, said Industry Minister MS Hidayat. "Malaysia`s rubber production is 1.3 tonnes per hectare, Thailand 1.9 ton per hectare, Indonesia only one ton or still lower," the minister said when opening the rubber and plastic products exhibition at his office here on Tuesday. According to him, Indonesia has the largest rubber area in the world or amounting to 3.4 million hectares, and most of which belonging to the people with annual rubber production 2.7 million tonnes. The exhibition is participated in by 17 rubber producing companies, 25 plastic making firms, and three research institutes. "The rubber industries directly employed around 2.1 million people," Hidayat said, adding the rubber industries indirectly employed about 100 thousand people. Thus, the country`s rubber industry still has opportunity to maximize the production, he added.