Phnom Penh, Dec 12 (IANS): Cambodia made $568 million in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex in the first 11 months of 2024, up by 26.7 per cent over the same period last year, said an official report on Thursday.

The kingdom exported 342,010 tonnes of the commodity during the January-November period this year, up by 2.34 per cent from 334,177 tonnes over the same period last year, according to the report of the General Directorate of Rubber that was released on Thursday.

"A tonne of rubber latex averagely cost $1,662 during the first 11 months of 2024, about 319 dollars higher than that of the same period last year," Khun Kakada, Acting Director General of the General Directorate of Rubber, said in the report.

The Southeast Asian nation exports the commodity mainly to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cambodia has so far planted rubber trees on a total area of 407,172 hectares, in which the trees on 320,184 hectares, or 78.6 per cent, are old enough to be tapped, the report said.

In the first 10 months of the year, Cambodia had earned $472 million in revenue from exports of natural rubber latex, up 22.5 per cent over the same period last year.

The kingdom exported 291,269 tonnes of the commodity during the January-October period this year, up 2.6 per cent over the same period last year, said the report of the General Directorate of Rubber.

Natural latex comes from many flowering plants, including Hevea brasiliensis, the 'rubber tree.' The milky white latex is found directly under the bark of the rubber tree and is harvested via careful tapping methods perfected over many years. Synthetic latex, however, is made entirely by humans.