Phnom penh: Cambodia exported a total of 257,322 tonnes of rubber latex during the first ten months of this year, an 11.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the General Directorate of Rubber at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the exports generated approximately US$453.3 million, although this represents a 3.9 percent decrease year-on-year. The same source pointed out that domestic consumption of rubber latex increased sharply by 117 percent, reaching 99,118 tonnes between January and October, which earned US$179 million from local sales. Rubber plantations in Cambodia cover more than 420,000 hectares, with 330,000 hectares, or approximately 77 percent, being old enough to be tapped.