Ministry reaches out to Sarawak smallholders

Kuching: The Primary Industries Ministry is collaborating with the Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) to reach out to smallholders in the state to obtain the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification.Its Minister, Teresa Kok, said as of October, 2018, a total of 359,810.83 hectares or 24.4 per cent of the total area cultivated under palm oil in Sarawak had obtained the MSPO certification - a government initiative which would be made mandatory by January 2020.

Nationwide, she said, 22 per cent or 5.8 million hectares of cultivated palm oil areas had obtained the certification.

"Doppa has many retired but experienced professionals from their previous jobs in the oil palm plantations and we need to seek their help to go to interior areas to reach out to smallholders to explain to them the importance of getting MSPO certification," she told a press conference after meeting with Doppa members, led by its President Dr Richard Mani here on Thursday.

She said her ministry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) would also work closely with the Sarawak Ministry of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development to push for the MSPO certification among local farmers.

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The Finance Ministry has allocated RM30 million to undertake the MSPO certification for next year, she said.

"With more MSPO certification (in the industry), there is no more reason for us (Malaysian palm oil) to be boycotted," she said, adding that India currently topped the list as the country's top importer of palm oil from Malaysia.

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In 2017, India imported 1.95 million tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia followed by the European Union (1.77 million tonnes) and China (1.61 million tonnes).

She was optimistic that with the expected enforcement of the Free Trade Agreement with India in 2019, a lower tax regime would be imposed on Malaysian palm oil exports to that country. – Bernama

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