Interviewer – Hninzi Nwe
The government encourages the MSMEs to improve the State economy.
The government also makes efforts to promote rubber-based industries, and here is an exclusive interview with U Aung Shwe, owner of the “Yadana Shwe Phyu” rubber production company in Thanbyuzayat Township of Mon State.
Q: When did you start your rubber industry?
A: In 2017, 14 factories were established with the state government budget, and Yadana Shwe Phyu plant is one of the factories, and I started running the operations.
Q: Where do you get the raw rubber materials from?
A: We purchase the raw rubber materials from farmers or other suppliers.
Q: What are the rubber production processes?
A: The processes go like weighing the liquid rubber, filtering, DRC measurement, filtering in the bulking tank (80), calculating the DRC and adding one ounce of Formic acid into 14 pounds of rubber to become harder, grinding the frozen rubber, exposure to wind, putting in the smoking chamber after leaving the well-dried rubber for four nights and grading 1, 2 and 3.
Q: How is the distribution system?
A: We transport the products to Mandalay and Yangon. We also sell at the plant. We make the orders depending on the pounds made by the traders such as 77 pounds or 110 pounds. The rubber is currently distributed locally and the township and state levels are also working with the relevant factories to export directly. If there is a factory unit, we can export directly to foreign countries.
Q: What are the challenges in this business?
A: The rubber latex yield is from September to early June. During that period, if the weather is not fine, it can cause losses to the latex. If so, we add Ammonia and transport to the factory. We still need quality materials and systematic production processes to ensure the rubber quality. Therefore, we are still striving to achieve standard rubber.
Q: What would you like to inform the officials regarding the difficulties in the production of rubber-based finished products?
A: If we cannot produce the finished products using the raw materials, we still have to rely on imported rubber-based finished products. It should also work together with the relevant organizations to get techniques and investments in rubber plantation sectors and rubber-based MSMEs. The government also should create a market. If the policies of the Central Bank of Myanmar are eased to a certain extent, foreign merchants can come and trade here. If so, the rubber businesspeople can get profits and it can also raise the lives of farmers.
Q: How many employees does the “Yadana Shwe Phyu” rubber industry need and what is the benefit for the employees?
A: The Yadana Shwe Phyu industry is running with 20 workers daily. The daily wage of the worker depends on pounds of rubber. We pay K15,000-K18,000 per head. They get K450,000 per month at least and the workers are convenient in rubber season. In the harvest season, we also provide a bag of rice per household and such doing can support their families.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: We want the support of the government to get quality rubber-based raw materials as the currently receiving raw materials are substandard as they are being produced just from the small-scale rubber plantations of Mon State. If we could produce finished products based on locally produced rubber raw materials, there would be economic growth.
Translated by KTZH
