KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification for organised smallholders has been fully achieved by the end of 2020, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said.
It said the certification carried out with the involvement of eight federal and state government agencies entailed the participation of 233,191 smallholders with total oil palm cultivated areas of 724,633.32 hectares.
The agencies involved are the Federal Land Development Authority with a total cultivated area of 472,023.91 hectares (100,060 people); Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (138,816.32 hectares; 89,440 people), Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (25,973.89 hectares; 14,389 people).
The state agencies involved in managing smallholders are the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Board (51,641 hectares;19,384 smallholders), South Kelantan Development Authority (16,934.39 hectares; 2,766 smallholders).
The other agencies are the Sabah Land Development Board (16,651.71 hectares; 5,895 people), Perak Islamic Economy Development Corporation (1,635.82 hectares; 904 people); and Sarawak Land Development Board (57 hectares; 353 people).
The MPOB said the achievements of the oil palm plantation and oil palm mill sectors have almost reached their full target.
It said as at Dec 31, 2020, a total of 5.20 million hectares or 88.25 per cent of the 5.9 million hectares of oil palm-planted areas in Malaysia have obtained MSPO certificates.
A total of 434 oil palm mills or 96.02 percent of the 452 oil palm mills have also received MSPO certificates, it added.
“For independent smallholders, a total of 311,739.51 hectares (31.61 percent) under oil palm cultivation have obtained the MSPO involving 94,328 people,” it said.
The MPOB said smallholders, who have yet to implement the MSPO certification, will receive a reminder letter which will be issued starting Jan 1, 2021.
Compound will be imposed starting July 1, 2021 and starting Jan 1, 2022, smallholders who still fail to register or begin the MSPO certification process will gave their licence revoked, suspended or not renewed. – Bernama
