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PM urges rubber group to bounce back amid falling prices
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the Rubber Industry Group to focus on improving both the yield and quality of latex and invest in the processing industry to increase the efficiency of its rubber production.
The PM made these remarks at a government working session on Mar. 13, which was attended by the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group.
The leader said that Vietnam’s climate and soil are ideal for the production of rubber and the industrial crop is a boon for the country, as it has contributed to a reduction in poverty rates and the industrialisation of the agricultural sector and rural areas in general, especially in remote areas and regions inhabited by ethnic minorities.
Developing the country’s rubber industry is one of the Party and State’s priorities, the PM said, adding that the Rubber Industry Group plays a key role in this work.
PM Dung stressed the importance of formulating a detailed plan, governing the investment in rubber production projects in the Central Highlands and northwestern region, and of following through on commitments agreed with Laos and Cambodia.
General Director of the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group, Le Quang Thung, reported to the PM on the group’s 2009 plan. He said that this year, the group is cultivating more than 171,000 ha of rubber and expects to produce 304,460 tonnes of latex, worth 7.26 trillion VND, a drop of 5.67 trillion VND compared to 2008’s plan. This fall in revenue is attributed to the falling price of rubber, which is estimated to fall by 17 million VND per tonne to 22 million VND.
The group is also expecting to obtain total revenues of 3.85 trillion VND from other products.
This year, in addition to rubber production, the group will initiate several major projects, including two 87MW hydropower plants and a cement factory capable of producing 1.4 million tonnes per year.
VietNamNet/VNA
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