The Potential of Rubber Supply Chain Along the Economic Corridors Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT): Case study in Thailand

บทคัดย่อ

This study aims to demonstrate the potential of the rubber supply chain along the IMT-GT Economic Corridor in the 14 southern provinces by analyzing qualitative data from upstream, midstream and downstream which can be used as a guideline to support the strategy for developing the rubber industry in the South along the IMT-GT economic corridor and use data to increase spatial potential.

Production (Upstream), the south has the most rubber plantation areas or 60.40% of the total rubber plantation areas in the country. The rubber plantation areas of the provinces along the economic corridors constitute 53.72% of the rubber plantation areas nationwide. The area with the largest rubber plantations is Surat Thani or 407,113 hectares (11.29%), followed by Songkhla or 316,599 hectares (8.47%), and Nakhon Si Thammarat or 240,052 hectares (8.03%). They are situated in EC1 with the total area of 30.11%.  Moreover, the rubber plantation areas in EC6 constitute 11.22% of the output. Therefore, the appropriate areas for the development of rubber value chain will be the areas in EC1 and EC6 that collect, process, and distribute rubber products for domestic consumption and export.

Processing (Intermediate), the primary product is tapped rubber (100%) which will be processed into three products namely: 1) Latex (59%) farmers in the south of Thailand tend to sell latex more for convenience and ability to reduce the risk of price fluctuation. 2) Raw rubber sheet (8%). 3) Cup lump or rubber crumb (33%)

Distribution (Downstream), the products from the intermediate industry include 1) Concentrated latex with 78% for export and 22% for domestic consumption. They consist of rubber gloves (47%), condoms (7%), and others (46%) 2) Ribbed Smoked sheet with 88% for export and 12% for domestic consumption 3) Technically specified rubber with 90% for export and 10% for domestic consumption such as rubber tires (91%) and others (9%). The downstream industry is the industry to process raw materials from the intermediate industry into final products for consumers.  The products include pillows, latex mattresses, rubber gloves, condoms, rubber roads, auto tires, motorcycle tires, aircraft tires, rubber bands, conveyor belts, athletic shoes, waterproof strips.