Govt to construct rubberised roads

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government, in a bid to shore up natural rubber prices, will construct rubberised roads, says Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.

"We should increase the use of rubber and the government is targeting to utilise 10 per cent of total rubber production this year," he said, adding that Indonesia and Thailand have also agreed to do the same.

Uggah was speaking to reporters after the ministerial level Special Session of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) here today.

Top producer Thailand, which announced similar plans to use rubber for roads, pavements and reservoirs, uses 3.5 tonnes of natural rubber for every 1km of road.

Uggah also said Malaysian rubber prices were expected to rebound this year, lifted by renewed demand from China.-Bernama