KUALA LUMPUR – The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry has given its assurance that oil palm plantations will be given permission to operate as usual if the government implements another full-scale movement control order (MCO).
Its minister, Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, said this is important to ensure that palm oil production is not interrupted and the country can continue the commodity's export to the rest of the world.
"We have gone through the MCO 1.0 phase in March 2020 and today, we have been through it for almost one year. Of course, we have learned the best way for us to manage plantations more prudently.
"Besides that, workers in oil palm plantations have always practised social distancing and their jobs require them to distance themselves. Hence, the spread of Covid-19 can be avoided," he told a press conference in conjunction with the Palm Oil Economic Review & Outlook (R&O) today.
Khairuddin said his ministry is optimistic that the palm oil trade performance will be better this year due to the positive forecast of the country's economy, as well as productivity, which is expected to increase due to good agricultural practices that form the basis of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MPSO) certification scheme.
He said as at December 31, a total of 5.2 million ha or 88.25% of the 5.9 million ha under oil palm cultivation in Malaysia have obtained the MSPO certificates.
A total of 434 mills or 96.02% of 452 palm oil mills have also obtained the MSPO certificates.
Meanwhile, he said Malaysia has decided to file legal action with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the European Union's restrictions on palm oil-based biofuel. – Bernama, January 11, 2021
