The production during August 99 was 50,870 tonnes and the cumulative production during April to August 1999 was 211,100 tonnes. The provisional output estimate for September 1999 was 58,000 tonnes.

Rubber goods manufacturing industries in the country consumed 49,775 tonnes of natural rubber during August 1999 as against 52,115 tonnes during July 1999. The cumulative consumption during April to August 1999 was 2,53,200 tonnes. This shows an increase of 7.9 per cent from the corresponding period of last year. Compared to the general rubber goods sector, auto-tyre sector exhibited better performance in consumption by depicting a growth of 12.6 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The consumption provisionally estimated for September 1999 was 53,000 tonnes.

The total stock of natural rubber in the country, which was 153,810 tonnes as on August 1999, witnessed a surplus of about 50,000 tonnes when weighed against the quantity required for the two-month consumption in the country. The import of natural rubber during August 1999 was 3,679 tonnes and the total import during the first five months (April- August) was 8,346 tonnes. The export during August 1999 was negligible.

The production of synthetic rubber decreased to 5,540 tonnes in August 1999 from 5,943 tonnes in July 1999. The cumulative production from April to August 1999 was 27,421 tonnes as against 28,845 tonnes during the corresponding period in the previous year.

The Indian rubber goods manufacturing industry consumed 13,555 tonnes of synthetic rubber during August 1999 as against 14,275 tonnes in July 1999. The cumulative consumption from April to August 1999, which was 66,560 tonnes, witnessed an increase of 7.6 per cent from the corresponding period of the previous year.

The production as well as consumption of reclaimed rubber declined marginally during August 99 at 5,210 tonnes and 5,265 tonnes, respectively. It was 5,440 tonnes and 5,330 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year (August 1998). The cumulative production and consumption of reclaimed rubber during April- August 1999 stood at 26,805 tonnes and 26,685 tonnes, respectively as against 26,380 tonnes and 25,880 tonnes, respectively in the same period last year.