M’sia to host special session of ANRPC

By BERNAMA

rubber-tapping-malaysia-generic-3.0Malaysia will host a ministerial level special session of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) on Friday to discuss efforts towards ensuring long-term price stability.

Discussions would also include balancing supply and demand of natural rubber through, among others, replanting activities and crop diversification, said the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry in a statement today.

The special session would be chaired by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Douglas Uggah Embas.

The ministry also said ways to promote cooperation in the development of rubber-based downstream activities would also be deliberated.

“This is aimed at promoting domestic consumption of natural rubber and reduce global stocks,” it said, adding that the meeting would also look at strengthening the role of the ANRPC Secretariat to provide an  effective platform to coordinate cooperation activities.

Established on April 8, 1970, ANRPC is an inter-governmental organisation involving 11 countries — Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It focuses on coordination, marketing and promote technical cooperation among member countries.

The ANRPC countries accounted for 92% of global natural production in 2014.