The country’s synthetic rubber consumption rose by 8 per cent to 33,925 tonnes in February, 2011, while domestic supply rose by almost 10 per cent to 9,634 tonnes in the same period, according to the Rubber Board.

Synthetic rubber demand and production stood at 31,440 tonnes and 8,768 tonnes, respectively, in the corresponding period of the previous year, the board’s data shows.

However, consumption of synthetic rubber declined by almost 4 per cent in February this year in comparison to demand in January, 2011, when it stood at 35,260 tonnes and similarly, production in the period under review also declined to 2.28 per cent from 9,859 tonnes in January, 2011. Synthetic rubber is mostly used in the manufacture of tyres in the country.

The auto tyre industry alone consumed 24,692 tonnes of the produce in February, 2011, 19 per cent higher than its consumption of 20,738 tonnes in the year-ago period.

According to the Rubber Board, the demand for synthetic rubber rose by almost 20 per cent to 3,75,805 tonnes between April, 2010, and February, 2011, from 3,13,405 tonnes in the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, overall production of synthetic rubber increased by almost 3 per cent to 1,01,097 tonnes from 98,280 tonnes in the review period, it said.

India’s synthetic rubber imports rose by 10 per cent in February, 2010, to 23,776 tonnes from 21,607 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The total stock of synthetic rubber in the country at the end of February, 2011, stood at 36,225 tonnes.

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