Rubber farmers in Chaungzon Tsp make handsome profit from good price

Rubber prices remain in the bull market this winter, allowing the rubber farmers and tappers to earn well, a small-scale rubber farm owner said.
“The prevailing price of rubber is K900-1,000 per pound. Both the farm owners and workers have financial security in difficult times. Last year, rubber was offered only K600-700 per pound. The farmers did not make a great profit then,” said Ko Lin Zaw, a tapper.
The natural rubber produced in Chaungzon Township is primarily delivered to rubber processing plants in Mudon, Thanbyuzayet and Kyaikmaraw townships. This year, the farmers are receiving higher prices.
The majority of the villages in Chaungzon Township are relying on rubber farms. Good price secures the socio and economic well-being of the workers.
Chinese authorities from Yunnan Province which is close to Myanmar’s Chinshwehaw border in Shan State gave the go-ahead to import four industrial crops from Myanmar, including sugarcane, rubber, tragacanth gum and cotton. As a result of this, the trade channel is reopened again.
Rubber is primarily produced in Mon and Kayin states and Taninthayi, Bago, and Yangon regions in Myanmar. As per 2018-2019 rubber season’s data, there are over 1.628 million acres of rubber plantations in Myanmar, with Mon State accounting for 497,153 acres, followed by Taninthayi Region with 348,344 acres and Kayin State with 270,760 acres.
About 300,000 tonnes of rubber is produced annually across the country.
Seventy per cent of rubber produced in Myanmar goes to China. It is also shipped to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, the Republic of Korea, India, Japan, and other countries, according to the Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association.
Myanmar’s rubber export generated more than US$449 million in income in the financial year 2020-2021. — IPRD, KK/GNLM