China to Host the Fourth ANRPC Annual Rubber Conference
The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) is organizing the fourth edition of its annual rubber conference in Haikou City, in the Hainan Province of China on 2nd November. The first three editions of this international event were respectively held in Bangkok (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Kochi (India) in 2008, 2009 and 2010. On behalf of Government of China, the Ministry of Agriculture will be hosting the event, in association with the China Natural Rubber Association (CNRA), at HNA Beach & Spa Resort.
The one-day conference, with the theme "Managing Uncertainty, Developing More Elastic Supply", will be unique in providing an international meeting point and an ideal platform for meaningful interactions and networking among rubber industry players, policy makers, researchers and analysts across countries.
The conference contents include seven presentations and two panel discussions, broadly covering the following topics:
? Emerging trends and outlook on supply and demand.
? Strategies of producing countries in the context of uncertainties in supply.
? New developments in auto-tyre manufacturing industry in China and India.
? Growing uncertainties in commodity prices.
? Developments and trends in natural rubber market.
The conference program is attached. ANRPC does not charge any fee from participants of the conference. Further details are available from the ANRPC Secretariat (Email: anrpc.secretariat@anrpc.org).
The conference is being organized in conjunction with the ANRPC’s 34th Session of the Assembly of its 11 member governments and annual meetings of the Executive Committee and two technical committees, to be held from 31st October to 4th November, followed by a field trip on 5th November for members to view rubber plantations and related activities in Hainan.
This is the first time that an event of the ANRPC is being held in China which joined the organization in 2007. The chairmanship of this inter-governmental organization, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is presently occupied by the Government of India and China holds the vice chairmanship.
Rubber plantations in China currently occupy about 1.03 million hectare of area, including 0.440 million ha occupied by trees in different pre-yielding stages. Hainan and Yunnan Provinces occupy nearly 96% of the country’s total rubber area. Young trees are concentrated in the Yunnan Province where extensive planting has taken place since 2005, prompted by high demand and favourable prices since 2005. The country’s supply of natural rubber is likely to touch 685,000 tons this year (Year ending December 2011), expecting the yield to improve to 1161 kg per hectare from 1143 kg last year. The supply stood at 646,900 tons during last year.
The country which absorbs more than a-third of the commodity’s global demand, had imported last year 1.761 million tons of natural rubber besides 1.002 million tons imported as compounds for which NR-content was more than 95%. China consumed 3.3 million tons of natural rubber last year.
Sd/-
Prof. Dr. Djoko Said Damardjati
Secretary-General
(Programme attached)
Fourth ANRPC Annual Rubber Conference
Managing Uncertainty, Developing More Elastic Supply
Venue:
HNA Beach & Spa Resort (www.hnabeachsparesort.com), Haikou City, Hainan, China
Date: November 2, 2011 (Wednesday)
09.00 – 09.45 AM:
Opening Session
Chairperson : Mdm. Sheela Thomas I.A.S., Chairperson, Rubber Board of India (Subject to confirmation)
Welcome address : Government of China
Introductory statement : Dr. Kamarul Baharain, Secretary-General, ANRPC (Dr. Kamarul Baharain will join the post on 1st July)
Opening address : Chief Guest
09.45-10.15 AM:
Break for coffee & tea
10.15 – 11.20 AM:
Session 1:
Outlook on Global Supply and Demand of Rubber
Chairperson : Mr. Suchin Maenmeun, Director, Rubber Research Institute of Thailand
Paper 1 : Emerging Trends in Global Supply of Natural Rubber (25 minutes)
Speaker : Dr. Kamarul Baharain, Secretary-General, ANRPC (Dr.Kamarul will join the post on 1st July)
Paper 2 : Emerging Trends in Demand for Natural and Synthetic Rubber (25 minutes)
Speaker : Mr. Robert Simmons, Head of Rubber Research, LMC International, London
Open Forum : Comments, Questions and Answers (15 minutes)
11.20 AM – 12.20 PM:
Session 2:
NR Industry in Member Countries: Challenges and New Strategies in the context of Climate Change and other factors causing uncertainties in Supply
Chairperson : Dr. Chairil Anwar, Director, Indonesian Rubber Research Institute (Subject to confirmation)
Paper 3 : Medium and Long-term Strategies for NR Sector in ANRPC Member countries (30 minutes)
Speaker : Mr. Jom Jacob, Senior Economist, ANRPC
Open Forum for interactions with policy-makers (30 minutes)
Represented by officials from governments of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, China, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea
12.20 – 01.30 PM:
Break for lunch & networking
01.30 – 02.35 PM:
Session 3:
New Developments in Auto-tyre Industry with reference to Uncertainties in Supply and Prices of NR
Chairperson : Dr. (Mdm.) Salmiah Ahmad, Director-General, Malaysian Rubber Board (Subject to confirmation)
Paper 4 : New developments in auto-tyre manufacturing industry in China (25 Minutes)
Speaker : Ms.Mary Xu, Deputy Secretary-General, China Rubber Industry Association
Paper 5 : New developments in auto-tyre manufacturing industry in India (25 Minutes)
Speaker : Representative of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association
Open Forum : Comments, Questions and Answers (15 minutes)
02.35 - 03.40 PM:
Session 4:
Growing Uncertainties in Commodity Prices and Developments in Rubber Market
Chairperson : Dr. (Mdm.) Tran Thi Thuy Hoa, Secretary-General, Vietnam Rubber Association
Paper 6 : Growing Uncertainties in Commodity Prices: Key Drivers and the Outlook (25 Minutes)
Speaker : Mr.Lu Feng, Managing Director, Chemical & Energy Department, Shanghai Futures Exchange (Subject to confirmation)
Paper 7 : Developments and Trends in Natural Rubber Market (25 Minutes)
Speaker : Dr. Luckchai Kittipol, CEO, Thai Hua Rubber Company Limited, Bangkok
Open Forum : Comments, Questions and Answers (15 minutes)
03.40 – 04.00 PM:
Break for coffee & tea
04.00 – 04.45 PM:
Panel Discussion
Topic:
Towards more Comfortable NR Supply and Reasonably Stable Prices
Chairperson : Mr. Chen Qibo, Vice President, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (Subject to confirmation)
Panel represented by:
Dr. Abdul Aziz S. A. Kadir, Secretary-General, IRRDB
Dr.Kamarul Baharain, Secretary-General, ANRPC
Dr. Luckchai Kittipol, CEO, Thai Hua Rubber Company, Bangkok
Mr. Banyat Nithiuthai, Specialist, R&D, AFET, Bangkok (Subject to confirmation)
Ms.Mary Xu, Dy.Secretary-General, China Rubber Industry Association
Mr. Robert Simmons, Head of Rubber Research, LMC International
04.45 – 04.55 PM:
Concluding Session
Closing Statement : Dr.Kamarul Baharain, Secretary-General, ANRPC
Acknowledgements : Mdm. Sheela Thomas I.A.S., Chairperson, Rubber Board of India