KUCHING: Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok is focusing on reaching out to Japan and China as the new markets for palm oil.
“These two countries are very big markets and full of potentials for us.
“I hope to visit Japan in two months’ time and am now discussing with the Japanese ambassador in Kuala Lumpur for my visit,” she said after a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah at his office here yesterday.
Kok said a Malaysian company from Johore was now selling Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certified palm oil at a premium price to Japan.
“So, this is a very encouraging news to us,” she said, adding that Malaysia had signed a MoU with a firm, China Green Food in May this year.
“This is a first step for China to recognise our MSPO certified palm oil.
“We have worked very hard for this certification and if we can penetrate both Japan and China this will be a great boost for us and our MSPO certified palm oil,” she added.
On the meeting, she said it was to get Sarawak’s help to speed up the MSPO certification process for the industry in the state.
According to her, only 591,233 hectares out of the total areas of 1.58 million hectares under oil palm cultivation in Sarawak have obtained the MSPO certification to-date.
The minister said there was still plenty of room for improvement as this represented only 38 per cent certification.
Sarawak is also the second biggest producer of palm oil in the country.
“Our national aim is to achieve 100 per cent MSPO certification by end of this year,” she said.
“The Sarawak state government has agreed to help and to speed up the process.
“My meeting with Uggah has been very fruitful and friendly.”
Kok said one of the issues faced in the certification process was in the land status condition.
“There are smallholding farmers planting oil palm on land meant for rubber or cocoa cultivation.
“So, we need the state Land and Survey Department to help us change the status and Uggah has agreed to help on this,” she said.
Kok said her office had sent a list containing 7,000 names who are seeking the conversion.
The MSPO certification is vital to allow Malaysia to continue to export palm oil to the EU countries.
It is a commitment that the palm oil is produced from sustainable planting sources and using good agricultural practices.
The EU is the second largest buyer of Malaysian palm oil.
