MPOB: 25 YEARS OF LEADING MALAYSIAN OIL PALM INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION – FROM LABORATORY TO PLANTATION, FROM PLANTATION TO THE WORLD

PUTRAJAYA, May 2 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is committed to continue leading the development of the country's oil palm industry towards a smarter, more sustainable and competitive one, in line with the national agenda of empowering the green economy and digitalisation.

Chairman Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha said various strategic initiatives are being and will be implemented by MPOB to strengthen the oil palm industry’s ecosystem, including the development of palm biodiesel as an environmentally friendly alternative energy and the production of palm-based oleochemical products that meet green standards and global market demand.

“Moving forward, MPOB will continue to strengthen its commitment to supporting the nation’s aspirations by developing a more inclusive, sustainable and competitive oil palm ecosystem,” he said at the MPOB Silver Jubilee Gala here today.

Also present were Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, the ministry’s secretary general Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof and MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir.

Technology and innovation accelerate industry

Mohamad Helmy said that since the establishment of MPOB on May 1, 2000, it has played a key role as the core agency for the development of the country's palm oil industry, based on science, technology and innovation.

In terms of research and development (R&D), he said that MPOB has successfully commercialized more than 200 high-impact technologies covering the upstream to downstream sectors including biotechnology, manufacturing, biomass, biodiesel, oleochemicals and food product formulation.

“This innovation has generated a market value of more than RM5.9 billion and boosted the quality, productivity and added value of the country's oil palm industry,” he said.

Among the main achievements are the production of superior planting materials Palm Series (PS 1.1) and Clonal Palm Series (CPS), palm fruit harvesting machines such as Cantaz and Cantaz Electro and the environmentally friendly biopesticide product Walbac which effectively controls the attack of the cotton bollworm in oil palm plantations.

MPOB is also exploring the potential of nutritional and health products such as tocotrienol (palm vitamin E) and red palm oil, as well as high-value oleochemical products which are now penetrating international markets including the United States and China.

In terms of market expansion, he said MPOB worked closely with the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities in negotiating free trade agreements such as the Malaysia-Turkiye Free Trade Agreement (MTFTA), ASEAN-India FTA and the Malaysia-India Economic Comprehensive Trade Agreement (MICECA).

“These strong trade and diplomatic relations are the foundation for export growth and the resilience of the country’s oil palm industry,” he said.

Smallholders are the pulse of the oil palm industry

In conjunction with MPOB's 25th anniversary celebration, Mohamad Helmy said it was timely to give appreciation to industry players, especially smallholders who are the pulse of the country's oil palm industry.

"To date, more than 219,000 private oil palm smallholders are licensed with MPOB, cultivating more than 829,000 hectares of oil palm plantations nationwide. They are not only producers, but also the main catalysts for the prosperity of this industry," he said.

He said MPOB continues to empower the smallholder sector through the implementation of various initiatives including oil palm planting advisory services, incentive and assistance schemes such as the Oil Palm Smallholder Replanting Financing Scheme, the establishment of Sustainable Oil Palm Growers Cooperatives (KPSM) and Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters (SPOC) for the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil Certification (MSPO).

“MPOB will continue to drive efforts towards the development of an inclusive and sustainable oil palm  community,” he said.

He said that throughout the two-and-a-half decades since its establishment, MPOB has played an important role in strengthening the country’s oil palm industry and at the same time, making Malaysia famous on the world stage.

“Various programmes have been designed to enliven the MPOB Silver Jubilee celebrations, and it is our shared hope that the oil palm industry will continue to be a symbol of Malaysia’s strength and sustainability at the international level,” he said.

Today saw the presentation of the MPOB Silver Jubilee awards in conjunction with its 25th anniversary celebration. MPOB also gave its appreciation to strategic partners, industry figures, MPOB figures, MPOB smallholder figures, MPOB icons and appreciation to media partners.

-- BERNAMA