Three tyre factories in the country are capable of processing around 200,000 tonnes of Cambodian rubber latex annually, said Khun Kakada, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Rubber of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), recently.
The three factories are Cart Tire Co., Ltd., located in Bavet City, Svay Rieng Province, General Tires Technology (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., in Preah Sihanouk Province and NEWBUSTAR (Cambodia), located in Snuol District, Kratie Province.
He mentioned this in the video produced by the ministry when he visited the Grafted Seedling Evaluation Trial at the Cambodian Rubber Research Institute in Tboung Khmum District, Tboung Khmum Province.
Kakada said that the primary task of the institute is research, which requires significant investment and time.
“Investors rely on clear and conclusive research results to make informed investment decisions. The most crucial aspect is the scientific evidence, which builds investor confidence before they commit,” he said.
Kakada expressed that nationwide the total area under rubber plantations now amounts to 404,000 hectares, with 80 percent of this land designated for rubber tapping.
“We previously lacked factories to process rubber latex into consumable products such as tyres, shoes, and other goods. Currently, we have three tyre factories capable of processing around 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of Cambodian rubber latex annually,” said Kakada.
Kakada said that this shift from exporting raw latex sheets to processing them domestically aligns with the government’s objective to attract investments that promote integrated domestic production.
He asked people to support the Cambodian tyre factories by purchasing their products. “This fosters a production-to-consumption cycle benefiting all.”
The report of the General Directorate of Rubber stated that in the first three quarters of 2024, Cambodia exported 248,535 tonnes of rubber products, an increase of 5,881 tonnes, equivalent to 2.42 percent compared to the same period last year and earning more than $397 million.
It added that Cambodia earned over $397 million from the export of rubber products from January to September in 2024, an increase of 23.44 percent compared to the same period last year.
It may be recalled that the Kingdom will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the oldest rubber tree in Cambodia and the rubber tapping contest this month in Chup Rubber Plantation in Tbong Khmum province.
The plantation has the largest number of surviving old rubber trees in the world. There are 448 trees in 14 hectares, playing an important role in the research for rubber varieties that have high growth conditions and yield in line with Cambodia’s agricultural environment.
