The Thai Rubber Association (TRA) organized the TRA annual dinner 2024 at Centara Grand at Centralworld, Bangkok on Friday, 10 May 2024. The annual dinner was numerously attended by over 1,000 guests, including delegates from various government agencies, private organizations, dignitaries and industry players in the country and from abroad. It was our great honour to invite Capt. Thamanat Prompow, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives to participate and deliver an opening address of which the key matters are as follows.

Natural Rubber is one of the most important agricultural products of Thailand and the world. Since 1991, Thailand has been the world's largest producer and exporter of rubber. In 2023, Thailand's rubber tapping area spanned 3.52 million hectares, NR production of 4.7 million tons, with exports reaching 4.46 million tons. However, rubber prices on the world market have experienced fluctuations in the past five years. Ongoing economic and political uncertainties among trading partners, coupled with trade barriers between the US and China, and geopolitical tensions have led to a slowdown in rubber prices and significant disruptions in the export supply chain. Thailand places importance on 3 issues: 1) Addressing natural disaster challenges such as droughts, flooding, and leaf fall disease. Guidelines and measures are in place to mitigate impacts on rubber farmers, including insurance coverage for damage from natural disasters affecting rubber trees and opportunities for additional income through side jobs; 2) Combatting illegal imports of rubber. Thailand actively monitors and prohibits the illegal importation of rubber; and 3) Enhancing rubber product standards, including the development of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Additionally, Thailand reports progress on the implementation of the EU Regulation on Deforestation Free Products (EUDR), set to take effect on January 1, 2025, and also reports progress on the Carbon Credit policy.

Policies and guidelines for addressing the rubber problem encompass three measures: 1) Self-Sufficiency: This involves establishing factors to promote the branding of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT), aimed at reducing costs for rubber farmers while providing them with knowledge and necessary tools; 2) Satisfaction: It entails the serious management of leaf fall disease and the expedited issuance of rubber plantation title deeds across all regions of Thailand; and 3) Sustainability: This includes establishing 500 local rubber markets adhering to the same standards. These markets will ensure traceability in the purchasing process back to rubber plantations, following the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). Additionally, our goal is to develop environmentally friendly rubber plantations, utilizing BCG/Carbon Credits. Furthermore, Thailand aims to produce tires under the brand of the Rubber Authority of Thailand and support downstream products of farmers' institutes, with a focus on robust marketing strategies.

TRA Annual Dinner 2024 received a huge success contributed by cooperation from government sector and both domestic and foreign private sectors, especially cooperation and spirit of TRA Committee members and TRA staff. On behalf of the Thai Rubber Association, I wish to thank everybody concerned. I consider this special occasion a big step towards closer relation in the rubber industry among the producing and the consuming countries.

Mr. Veerasith Sinchareonkul

President

The Thai Rubber Association