Korean investor interested in natural rubber in Bangka: Official

Sungailiat, Bangka Belitung Islands, March 12 (Antara) - The Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Office (Dispertan) of Bangka District, Bangka Belitung Islands, is cooperating with investors from Korea to increase the price of rubber latex.

"A Korean investor is cooperating with us to buy natural rubber in order to normalize its price," Head of Bangka`s Dispertan Kemas Arfani stated here on Monday.

He noted that the company was conducting a trial in West Mendo Sub-district to guarantee a better price than that offered by the local collectors.

Natural rubber production in Bangka is high, but its quality is poor as the farmers prefer to use alum rather than formic acid.

"We cannot decide the price of natural rubber due to the lack of firms in Bangka. It is different as compared to cassava and palm oil," he remarked.

The government can decide the price of natural rubber based on the governor`s regulation on cassava and palm oil.

"The governor has decided the price of palm oil that hovered between Rp800 and Rp1,500 per kilogram, while cassava is sold at a price starting from Rp700 to Rp1,200 per kilogram," he stated.

Arfani further added that the natural rubber in Bangka is similar to pepper, which is usually used as a mixed ingredient by foreign companies before they export their products to other countries.