Malaysia Poised To be World's Top Condom Producer

By P. Vijian NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- A leading rubber industry agency has predicted Malaysia will emerge as the world's top condom producer this year, de-crowning Thailand as the market leader. The Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council said Malaysia has captured at least one-third of the world's production, easily surpassing one billion mark. "We can be the world's No. 1 this year due to flood woes in Thailand. Our last year's production figures would have easily crossed a billion condoms," Low Yoke Kiew, the council's marketing and development director told BERNAMA. In 2010, Malaysia, the world's fourth largest natural rubber producer, shipped out latex-made sheath contraceptives worth nearly RM300 million, almost tripling the export value in 2005. Malaysia, backed by the stout two decades-old latex products industry, largely small and medium size, joins the billion-piece condom makers' club, coincidentally dominated by Asian giants. Top Asian manufacturers -- Thailand, China, India, Japan and Malaysia -- continue to flood global markets with over 10 billion pieces of the silky love- making kit. Ultra-thin, multi-coloured-scented condoms, sold in fancy packets in nook-and-corners are a fast-growing consumer item, even in a conservative market like India, where they are sold in public-vending machines. Rising health awareness, cheap-easy contraceptives, the United Nations health programmes and sexual advertisements are pushing up condom sales globally. In China, over two billion condoms are sold, while the Japanese buy 580 million pieces a year and India's production has crossed a billion pieces. "Malaysian condoms are in good demand and competitive. We're now supplying a lot to UN programmes. We expect very good growth for all our latex products this year, including condoms," Low added. Condom makers rely on natural rubber, as over 90 per cent of the sheath contraceptives are made using latex, while lamb intestines is another material used in the industry. The first rubber condom was produced in 1855, as thick as a bicycle inner tube, say documented literatures, but sophisticated technology has revolutionised condom production into almost weightless, lubricated and cheap. -- BERNAMA