KUALA LUMPUR – The Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry has forecast crude palm oil (CPO) production this year to increase by about 3% to 19.7 million tonnes from 19.14 million tonnes last year.
Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali said this is based on the expected expansion of mature oil palm plantation areas, as well as the effects of dry weather which has affected the production of fresh bunches and subsequent CPO production.
“With the recovery in world trade, export growth is projected to continue to be encouraging. The plantation and commodity sectors will leverage the permission given by the government to the plantation and commodity sectors to operate as usual during the movement control order and emergency periods,” he said in a statement today.
The minister said the agri-commodity sector’s export revenue contributed RM133.2 billion or 15.1% of the country’s total export revenue as of November 2020, an increase of 13.6% compared with RM117.2 billion in the same period a year before.
He said palm oil-based products constituted the biggest contributor at 48.6% with the value increasing 4.8% to RM64.8 billion.
Mohd Khairuddin said his ministry also fully supported Initiative Four of the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat Protection (Permai) assistance package, which steps up the testing of employees.
“The ministry will ensure agri-commodity industry players tighten standard operating procedure compliance, improve accommodation and movement control of foreign workers, and increase screening to support efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“The ministry will also ensure the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act (Amendment) 2019 (Act 446) is complied with, as failure to do so can contribute to the spread of Covid-19,” he said. – Bernama, January 21, 2021
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