MALAYSIA TO CUT RUBBER PRODUCTION BY 10 PERCENT NEXT YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's annual rubber production is expected to be reduced by 10 percent next year from 1.1 million to 1.2 million tonnes estimated this year in a move to push up prices.

Production will be reduced through the implementation of ongoing replanting
programme and also tapping, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Peter
Chin Fah Kui said Tuesday.

He said the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) had
already started on the replanting programme to support the government's measure.

Malaysia will send a representative to a meeting of International Rubber
Consortium Limited (IRCO), which grouped the three major producers comprising
Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, next month to discuss proposals to push up
prices.

Among the measures that Malaysia will propose are reducing exports and
providing production figures to plan the frequency of rubber tapping, maybe two
to three times weekly, Chin said.

"Basically, we have to talk to our partners in IRCO and assess what they
think. We already have a plan which was mooted back when we first started IRCO,"
he said.

"So, there are supply export quotas and other things but it doesn't mean
that all the measures will be implemented. Our representative will talk about
what we have planned for and all the measures we have in mind," he added.
-- BERNAMA