The Yokohama Rubber Co., together with the Surat Thani branch of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT), held a seminar event in December to help Thai natural rubber farmers improve the quality and productivity of their natural rubber, Yokohama Rubber said. Seventy farm households in the Surat Thani area participated in the event and each participating household received a complimentary 250 kg (approx. 550 lbs.) of fertilizer developed from RAOT. The seminar is the sixth held by Yokohama Rubber and RAOT since 2020.

In January 2020, Yokohama Rubber signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the RAOT to cooperate in efforts to provide economic support for Thai natural rubber farmers and to improve traceability to ensure transparency and soundness of the natural rubber supply chain, Yokohama Rubber said. This seminar event was held in the Surat Thani area, home to Yokohama Rubber’s Thai natural rubber processing company Y.T. Rubber Co., as part of support for farmers under the MOU. The farmers who received fertilizer are cooperating in follow-up surveys on its effect on the physical properties and productivity of their natural rubber.

According to Yokohama Rubber, the recent seminar event in Thailand reflects the principle of “Support for suppliers, including small-scale farmers, and other parties involved in the supply chain” set forth in the Procurement Policy. Yokohama Rubber will continue to implement and announce initiatives in line with the action guidelines stipulated in this policy. Yokohama Rubber said it also is endeavoring to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations.