Ling (seated centre) with Murphy (seated second left) and MPOB Miri staff pose for a photo call.
MIRI: Malaysia is intensifying efforts in promoting palm oil domestically and internationally, to ensure that the oil palm industry continues to become a major contributor to the national economy, Senator Alan Ling said.
Ling, who is a member of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), among the measures being taken is to get more countries to purchase the commodity.
“The government had in the 2020 Budget allocated RM27millon to support MPOB in broadening the market internationally, including in the European Union (EU) which is still boycotting palm oil from Malaysia.
“Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok will make visit to the EU early this year to negotiate with them on the need for them to import palm oil from Malaysia, which has proven records of environmental conservation in the industry and not fuelling deforestation as alleged,” Ling said when visiting MPOB Miri yesterday.
At the local level, Ling said several initiatives are being taken to revitalise the industry.
Among them is the RM550 million palm oil replanting loan fund for smallholders which is collateral-free at an interest rate of two per cent per annum, with a tenure of 12 years including a four-year moratorium on repayment.
“The oil palm industry is the second major contributor after oil and gas to the national economy. Thus the government wants the 600,000 smallholders in the country engaging in the oil palm industry to make full use of the fund to revitalise the industry and benefit from the increase in the price of crude palm oil, which is now reaching RM3,000 per tonne – the highest in three years,” he said.
Ling added the government targets the chain effect within the industry will result in all smallholders obtaining the mandatory Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification this year, adding that currently only 60 per cent of smallholders have done so.
He said to further encourage usage of oil palm domestically, the government will continue to aggressively drive the ‘Love MY Palm Oil campaign’.
“The people must have national pride and greater appreciation for Malaysian palm oil, its socio-economic importance, health, nutrition, and food and non-food applications.”
On hand to welcome Ling at the MPOB office here was MPOB Sarawak regional director Murphy Solomon and others.