Spot rubber improves on supply concerns

Spot rubber improves on supply concerns
Kottayam, Oct 4

Domestic rubber prices ruled firm on Monday. On the spot market, prices moved up on supply concerns following the widespread rains all over the plantation areas, bringing tapping almost to a halt. According to sources, there have been no fresh enquiries from the tyre sector but the mood was visibly bullish throughout the session. The volumes were narrow.

Sheet rubber increased to Rs 171 from Rs 170 a kg on fresh buying and short covering, dealers said. The grade was quoted at firm Rs 171 (169) a kg both at Kottayam and Kochi, according to Rubber Board.

Futures gain

RSS 4 increased with October futures rising to Rs 174.7 (173.69), November to Rs 177 (176.11), December to Rs 179.5 (178.44) and January to Rs 182.6 (180.89) a kg on the National Multi Commodity Exchange. The volumes totalled 5,520 lots and open interest 4,173 lots. The turnover was Rs 98.34 crore. The October series for RSS 3 finished steady at ¥302 (Rs 161.58) a kg during the day session but moved up marginally to ¥302.4 (Rs 161.81) during the night session on Tokyo Commodity Exchange. RSS 3 (spot) firmed up to Rs 163.45 (161.65) a kg at Bangkok. Spot rates were (Rs/kg): RSS-4: 171 (170); RSS-5: 167 (165); ungraded: 164 (162); ISNR 20: 167 (165) and latex 60 per cent: 116 (115.5).


Campco to start rubber procurement in six centres
A. J. Vinayak

Mangalore, Oct. 4

The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd will open six rubber procurement centres during this month, according to Mr K. Padmanabha, President of Campco.

The cooperative would start rubber procurement from Kadaba, Nintikallu, Alankar and Uppinangady in Karnataka, and from Parappa and Mulleria in Kerala during this month.

Campco, which deals in arecanut and cocoa procurement and marketing, ventured into rubber procurement at Bandadka in Kerala recently.

He said that Campco is working on developing an arecanut peeling machine. Nearly 80 per cent of work has been completed in this project.

Stressing the need for more research in value-added arecanut products, he said there is a need to create awareness about the medicinal uses of arecanut.

Mr Padmanabha was speaking on the sidelines of a guest lecture by Mr Balachandra Hegde Saimane — a progressive grower from Sirsi, who visited China recently to study arecanut market there.

Mr Hegde, who visited Hunan province in China to study the arecanut market there, said growers in China are giving more importance for value-addition. Growers in China have taken a bigger share in value chain by manufacturing value-added products and marketing them. Even the outer skin of arecanut is processed and marketed for chewing.

In India, most arecanut farmers concentrate only on cultivation than coming out with value-added products, he added.