An often overlooked, but indispensable element of the tyre manufacturing industry is the procurement process of natural rubber. Natural rubber (often shortened to NR) is predominantly farmed in Thailand, Indonesia, India and Malaysia and is “tapped” from the Para rubber tree (or as pointed out by David below hevea Brasiliensis – Latin).  Upon wounding, the para rubber tree responds ... [ Read: Will the rising cost of rubber drive up tyre prices for consumers? ]