Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake stated that the rubber industry provided benefits to society in the form of economic and social development created by value chain activities, as well as countless products.

He noted that the industry could promote sustainable development through carefully managed value chain processes in plantations, smallholdings, factories and trading houses, and potentially provide benefits such as stable employment, public infrastructure, export earnings, government revenues, and opportunities for related and supporting industries.

Addressing the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) World Rubber Summit 2018, he highlighted concerns related to economic prospects and the future of rubber production, and pointed to the need for renewable sources of rubber to meet the projected 17 million tons of natural rubber required by 2025.