MALAYSIA PLANS MEASURES TO IMPROVE MARKET CONDITIONS FOR RUBBER

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will accelerate its replanting scheme involving 32,000 hectares of existing rubber land under the country's initiative to improve market conditions following the weakening of raw natural rubber prices since July 2008.

This was double the total replanted area to be achieved in 2008, said
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui in a statement
Tuesday.

He said by doing so, Malaysia would be removing another 32,000 to 38,000
metric tonnes of rubber from the market in the coming years.

Chin said the International Tripartite Rubber Council, which comprised the
major natiral rubbeer producing countries of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia,
would also meet in Bangkok Wednesday.

They are expected to discuss the possible implementation of the Agreed
Export Tonnage Scheme (AETS), he said.

"It is expected that the rubber exporters of Malaysia, Thailand and
Indonesia will coordinate their marketing activities through their respective
rubber associations in order to harmonise and enhance good business practices in
aoordance with the guidelines of AETS," he added.