Yokohama Rubber, together with the Surat Thani branch of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT), held a seminar event in June to help Thai natural rubber farmers improve the quality and productivity of their natural rubber. Fifty farm households in the Surat Thani area participated in the event. 

Each participating household received a complimentary 250 kg of fertilizer developed using RAOT’s specialist knowledge. 

The seminar is the fifth held by Yokohama Rubber and RAOT since 2020.

In January 2020, Yokohama Rubber signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the RAOT to cooperate to provide economic support for Thai natural rubber farmers and improve traceability to ensure transparency and soundness of the natural rubber supply chain. The MOU and events held under it are concrete actions based on Yokohama Rubber’s “Procurement Policy for Sustainable Natural Rubber.” 

This seminar event was held in the Surat Thani area, home to Yokohama Rubber’s Thai natural rubber processing company Y.T. Rubber Co., Ltd., as part of support for farmers under the MOU. 

The farmers who received fertilizer are cooperating in follow-up surveys on its effect on their natural rubber's physical properties and productivity.

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, a global price increase for all polymer products with effect from 1 April 2026. The price hike will range from USD 440 per MT to USD 700 per MT, or as individual contract terms permit, with the exact price change varying according to the polymer type and production location.

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