25 Aug
The international standard rubber laboratory, constructed in Hlegu can issue certificates for rubber quality, said U Khaing Myint, the secretary of Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers Association (MRPPA).
“The issuing of the certificates for rubber quality will take five more months because we have to obey the ISO process. We could not do what we want, although our Ministry set up the lab. Our international standard rubber lab will run under the supervision of the International Rubber Association (IRA) and the ISO 17025,” he said.
The price of rubber exported from Myanmar is lower than that of the international market because our product doesn’t meet international standard. The rubber growers need to produce the rubber in such a way as to meet the international standard to get the global market price, he added.
“We have to continue our process. Some people have the misconception that the laboratory can issue the certificates, and the certified products will fetch the international market price.
The rubber growers are showing a high-quality sample of the lab, but they are producing lower quality products. That is why they could not get the global market price. Their product should meet 100 per cent international standard quality. We are trying to issue the certificates from the lab, recognized by IRA and the international traders can buy the products safely,” the MRPPA secretary said.
The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and MRPPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2016 and set up Myanmar Natural Rubber Quality Testing Lab in Hlegu Township.
Malaysia Rubber Board audited the lab in December 2016, and the lab passed Round Robin Test (or) Proficiency Test four times in 2017. International Rubber Association-IRA will become one of the accredited laboratories.
There are over 1.6 million acres of rubber plantations in Myanmar, and 80,000 of them can be produced later. Over 200,000 tonnes of rubber raw materials are exported to international market every year.
By Nyein Nyein (Translated by Hay Mar)
