KeralaFarmerOnline.com A multi lingual blog for the farmers, by keralafarmer
  • Centre allows 40,000 tonnes rubber imports at 7.5% concessional duty

    Growers disappointed as they fear move may suppress domestic prices

    New Delhi, July 17:

    The Centre has allowed imports of 40,000 tonnes of natural rubber at a concessional duty of 7.5 per cent for the current fiscal. This is similar to the one allowed last fiscal.

    Since April 1 this year, the Customs duty on natural rubber has been fixed at 20 per cent or Rs 20 a kg, whichever is lower.

    The move to allow imports at a lower duty follows demand from the user industry, particularly tyre manufacturers, to allow import of two lakh tonnes duty-free. Sources said that the Commerce Ministry had recommended allowing imports of one lakh tonnes duty-free. But the Finance Ministry, which has a final say, has treaded a cautious path in arriving at the final decision. Growers, on the other hand, are totally opposed to imports.

    “The decision to allow import of only 40,000 tonnes that too at 7.5 per cent against a demand to permit two lakh tonnes is disappointing,” said an industry source, who did not wish to be identified. “It is also too little and too late,” the source said.

    Last fiscal, the import duty regime was put in place in December for a similar quantity of 40,000 tonnes. This year, though, imports are allowed from this month itself.

    The import will meet consumers’ need for just 15 days, going by the consumption of 80,500 tonnes in June.

    “The decision to allow imports at concessional duty is oppressive. It has come at the most inopportune moment as peak production season is lurking,” said Mr J.K. Thomas, former President of the United Planters’ Association of Southern India. “It could suppress domestic prices,” he said.

    “The decision is good though it will meet only 15 days demand. It will improve supply in the domestic market. On Saturday, rubber was not available locally. Last week, I scouted for 20 tonnes of rubber and was hardly able to get two tonnes. Rubber is not available locally despite the Rubber Board statistics saying that the carryover stocks at the end of June were 2.47 lakh tonnes,” said Mr N. Radhakrishnan, advisor to the Cochin Rubber Merchants Association.

    According to traders, inferior quality sheet rubber is available at Rs 208-201 a kg. The high price for inferior quality rubber makes production unviable for small manufacturers.

    “If tyre manufacturers import, then quality rubber will be available for small industries which are suffering,” said Mr Radhakrishnan.

    “There is no way other than imports to improve supply,” he said.

    “It is an agreed position that imports could be allowed when domestic prices are higher than global rates. That was seen only in two years.

    Now, domestic and global prices are at par,” said Mr Thomas.

    On Saturday, RSS-4 (ribbed smoked sheet) rubber was quoted at Rs 216 a kg. During the weekend, in the global market RSS-3, the equivalent to Indias’s RSS-4, closed at Rs 210 a kg in Bangkok.

    In the first quarter this fiscal, rubber imports almost doubled to 38,233 tonnes compared with 19,118 tonnes during the same period a year ago.

    Production in the first quarter was 1, 75,700 tonnes, up 5.4 per cent over the same period last year. In comparison, consumption was 2.44 lakh tonnes, up nearly four per cent year-on-year.

    Shares of domestic tyre companies shot up in the last week of June on rumours that the Centre would exempt natural rubber imports from customs duty for a specified quantity under a tariff rate quota regime.

    Remarks: No problem for farmers on this 40,000 Tonnes of Import at 7.5% Duty. The Joint venture of Media, Bulk dealers, Manufacturers and the Rubber Board playing  a Game to reduce the International price by exporting later from India at the peak production period. Actually due to high humidity the production in India from April to July is less than previous year. The Import of 40,000 Tonnes will help to the price hike in International Market. Thus the same benefit will get to the rubber cultivators in India. In 2009-10 Import was 177130 Tonnes and imported approx 80% on Zero percent Import Duty. In 2010-11 Import was 177637 Tonnes and both year the prices were higher than earlier. The wrong figures  of high Month end  stock can’t bring Natural Rubber to the market. 38396 Tonnes Missing and 106455 Tonnes month end stock with farmers are to show a higher stock at the end of 2010-11. Indian Rubber board published the rubber statistics up to March 2011 only. Then how the media got the statistics up to June? These details are supplied by the officials of Rubber Board against Farmers. I would challenge the Political Parties, Media, Rubber Board, Bulk Dealers and ATMA on 40,000 Tonnes import to reduce the price in India. No it will not happen. The import news is the reason for the price hike at International Market.

     

    No Comments
  • Performance of Natural Rubber 2010-11
    Stock at the begining of the year 253975 Tonnes
    Area 712000 hectares –% Growth
    Production 861950 Tonnes -3.7% Growth
    Consumption 947715 Tonnes 1.8% Growth
    Import 177637 Tonnes –% Growth
    Export 29851 Tonnes – % Growth
    Average Market Price for RSS 4 grade Rs. 19003/100Kg Rs. 190.03 per Kg
    Stock at the end of the year 277600 Tonnes
    Number of small holdings – Million
    Number of large estates
    Average yield per hectare 1807 Kg
    Customs duty on Natural rubber
    Solid Form 20.00%
    Latex 70.00%
    Value of Natural Rubber Imported Rs. 2733.05 crore Rs. 153.29 per Kg
    Value of Natural Rubber Exported Rs. 552.20 crore Rs. 184.99 per Kg
    Value of rubber products imported Rs. — crore (2008-09)
    Value of rubber products exported Rs. — crore
    Income from NR to growers Rs. — crore
    Cess of NR collected Rs. — crore —– Tonnes at cess Rs. 1.50/kg (Import 177637 + Purchase 773692 Tonnes?)
    Number of licensed dealers
    Number of licensed manufacturers
    Tyre and Non-tyre consumption ratio
    NR and SR consumption ratio 70:30
    Per capita consumption of elastomer – Kg
    Tyre industry turnover Rs. — crores
    Tyre production – Million Numbers
    Value of tyre exports Rs. — crores
    Costoms duty on tyres 10.00%
    World production – million tonnes
    World consumption – million tonnes
    World NR & SR consumption ratio
    International price RSS 3 Rs. 19555/100 Kg Rs. 195.55 per Kg

    Ref: Monthly Rubber Stastical News August 2010 Vol 69 No 3

    Summary

    Opening Stock 253975 Tonnes Consumption 947715 Tonnes
    Production 861950 Tonnes Export 29851 Tonnes
    Import 177637 Tonnes Balace Stock 277600 Tonnes
    Missing 38396 Tonnes
    Total 1293562 Tonnes Total 1293562 Tonnes
    1 Comment
  • ‘Make rubber latex export regular’

    Kottayam, March 17: Latex producers should make long-term arrangements to export their produce on a regular and steady basis, said Ms Sheela Thomas, Chairman, Rubber Board while speaking at a meeting of the latex producers convened by the Board. The meeting observed that the prevailing market situation is favourable for exports especially with the international latex price ruling above domestic prices. Participants also felt that it would be advantageous for Rubber Producers’ Societies, which market their produce as latex, to divert to sheet making considering the price differential.The President, Latex Producers’ Association, representatives of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala; State Farming Corporation; Rehabilitation Plantations; Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, and Periyar Latex Ltd participated in the meeting. — Aravindan

    (This article was published in the Business Line print edition dated March 18, 2011)

     

    Check the  average monthly price of 60% drc latex at  Kottayam and Kuala Lumpur Markets. And see the daily price of 60% drc latex here for the month of November 2010.

    This is an evidence of export including 40% of content which is not rubber is included as rubber in total quantity exported.  The Total export in drc only for a show.

    The exported quantity was published for the year 2006-07 as 56545 Tonnes.

    To verify the daily prices click on the following dates.

    November 2010
    SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
    1 2 3 4 5 6
    7 8 9 10 11 12 13
    14 15 16 17 18 19 20
    21 22 23 24 25 26 27
    28 29 30
    No Comments
  • Rubber Board Statistics realistic – Chairman

    Kottayam
    16 February 2011

    Rubber Board Chairman Smt. Sheela Thomas has asserted that the statistics of the Board is prepared realistically by collecting, compiling and collating data from different sources, but the entire quantity shown as stock will not be available in the market for immediate consumption. She was responding to the doubts raised by certain quarters about the accuracy of the Board’s statistics.

    The stock of natural rubber in the country at the end of January 2011 is provisionally estimated at 3,27,115 tonnes. This includes various forms of rubber, that too at various levels such as growers, dealers, processors, manufacturers etc. Of this, the stock with the processors and manufacturers and nearly 50% of the stock available with the growers are not available for trading. The RSS grades (sheet rubber) available in the market is estimated to be only 1,29,500 tonnes (nearly 40% of the total stock), she said.

    Branding Would Increase Acceptability of Indian NR –Sheela Thomas

    Kottayam
    25 February 2011

    The prevailing market situation, in which the international rubber prices are ruling much above the domestic prices, is conducive to export, which in turn may help Indian growers to realise international price, said Smt. Sheela Thomas, Chairman, Rubber Board. She also observed that using the quality certification logo of the Rubber Board would increase the acceptability of Indian Natural Rubber (NR) in the world market.
    Smt. Sheela Thomas was distributing the Indian NR brand certificates to the first batch of exporters, exporting with the logo. The certification will entitle the exporters to use the logo designed by the Board on their consignment. Branding is expected to establish Indian NR as a quality product and help it fetch a premium price, which will benefit not only the exporters, but the producers as well. Such a branding of NR for export is the first of its kind to be implemented in any rubber producing country.
    The use of logo is permitted for the export consignments conforming to the quality specifications as defined in the Green Book and by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The branding is for the shipment of R.S.S. (Ribbed Smoked Sheet), I.S.N.R. (Indian Standard Natural Rubber) and concentrated latex grades. The holographic logo stickers for sealing the export consignments are developed by C-DIT (Centre for Development of Imaging Technology).
    The certificates were awarded to Pala Marketing Co-operative Society (exporting sheet rubber to Turkey), Hevea Crumb Rubber Factory and Ashok Trade Links (both exporting block rubber to Pakistan). A good response for branding is observed from the NR exporters and more than 500 metric tonnes of branded rubber is expected to be shipped during the next week.

    REMARKS:-

    Dealers price of Manorama Daily to control small Scale Dealers
    Date Bangkok RSS 4 Bangkok RSS 5 RB RSS 4 RB RSS 5 Manorama RSS 4 Manorama RSS 5 Dlrs Price Lower Dlrs Price Higher
    21/2/2011 29254 29187 24050 23200 24000 23150 22725 22775
    22/2/2011 29161 29094 23800 23100 23650 22950 22500 22550
    23/2/2011 28886 28820 23100 22700 22975 22575 21950 22000
    24/2/2011 28758 28691 22800 22500 22500 22100 21750 21800
    25/2/2011 28383 28316 22400 22200 22000 21650 21300 21350
    26/2/2011 22100 21900 22000 21650 21300 21350
    Sunday
    28/2/2011 27994 27928 22100 21900 21800 21600 21350 21400
    1/3/2011 27445 27379 22400 22100 22400 22000 21650 21700
    2/3/2011 27427 27360 22600 22300 22400 22200 21900 21950
    3/3/2011 27390 27323 23000 22700 22800 22500 22250 22300
    4/3/2011 26966 26900 23000 22800 22900 22700 22300 22350
    5/3/2011 23000 22800 22900 22700 22300 22350
    Sunday
    7/3/2011 26709 26643 22700 22500 22600 22375 22025 22075
    8/3/2011 26295 26228 22200 21800 21975 21650 21300 21350
    9/3/2011 24814 24747 21600 21400 21325 21200 21000 21050
    10/3/2011 24447 24380 21800 21600 21650 21450 21275 21325
    11/3/2011 24082 24014 21200 20900 20750 20500 20250 20300
    12/3/2011 20100 19900 19900 19700 19400 19450
    Sunday
    14/3/2011 22329 22262 18500 18200 18400 18000 17450 17500
    15/3/2011 20094 20027 18700 18300 18550 18200 17650 17700

    Will be published

    No Comments
  • Will try to publish. Available in malayalam.

    No Comments

Feed

Members

Classifieds

Follow me on Twitter

Micro Blogging

twitter_logo

Join Trivandrum Bloggers Group

Google Groups
Trivandrum Bloggers
Visit this group

The world’s greatest scam?

I am using GNU/Linux Are you?

A Real Farmer

IAC Trivanrum Support Anna Hazare

Archives