Rubber consumption during April-July period this year has recorded a 3.9 per cent increase and reached 337,080 tonnes as against 324,425 tonnes during the same period last year.
In the auto tyre manufacturing sector, consumption picked up at a faster rate of 4.5 per cent against 2.8 per cent rate of growth in the general rubber goods sector, according to Rubber Board.
Natural rubber production increased to 68,000 tonnes during July. Consumption in the country has fallen to 83,000 tonnes in August. India imported 21,059 tonnes of natural rubber during July 2012, taking the current fiscal’s total imports till the month to 80,177 tonnes compared with 64,461 tonnes imported during the same period last year.
The export fell to 4,907 tonnes during the period from April to July this year from 11,340 tonnes shipped during the same period a year ago. The total stock of natural rubber at the end of July 2012 was 21,600 tonnes.