Bangladesh targets doubling its natural rubber production to 60,000 tonnes a year by 2020 to tap the growing potentials in its export market on meeting domestic demand, industry people said.
Currently, the country has a capacity to produce about 30,000 tonnes of rubber a year, but some 10,000 tonnes were produced in 2007 because of the limited market demand. The production target has been set at 16,000 tonnes for 2008. There are 1,300 rubber gardens across the country.
“We need to ensure quality to export the item to the developed market where the use of rubber is growing rapidly,” said Motahar Billah Chowdhury, vice president of Bangladesh Rubber Garden Owners' Association.
He blamed negligence of the successive governments for not yet entering into the multi billion dollars export market.
However, Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman said on Monday that Bangladesh had opened up rubber trade with Turkey, which is trying to get certificate for Bangladesh's rubber from renowned Japanese tyre maker Bridgestone.
“Bridgestone's certification may take the Bangladeshi rubber industry to a new height,” Hossain Zillur said.
Bangladeshi rubber is less costly than the imported one. One kilogram of locally produced rubber costs Tk 110-120, while it is Tk 200 for the imported rubber.
Natural rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer. It is used extensively in many applications and products. It can also be synthesized. The scientific name of the rubber tree is Hevea brasiliensis.
Around 25 million tonnes of rubber were produced in 2007, according to global statistics. Of which, around 42 percent was natural. The bulk of the rubber produced is the synthetic variety, which is derived from petroleum. Asia is the main source of natural rubber today, accounting for around 94 percent of output in 2005. The three largest producing countries are: Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand -- together account for around 72 percent of all natural rubber production.
Rubber garden owners said they are producing the item traditionally with layman farmers. They said the government has not done anything to develop the industry despite repeated requests.
“Government has neither set up any administrative wing to help the sector, nor formulated any policy for the industry,” Motahar Chowdhury said.
Garden owners have been pressing the government to formulate a policy since 1995. Rubber production in the private sector was allowed since 1980-81.
Still the government owned forest department is the leading rubber producer in the country with annual production of over 3,500 tonnes on more than 32,000 acres of land.
According to industry people, as many as 10 people are employed in every 25 acres of rubber land.
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