KUCHING: Oil palm planters in Sarawak reiterated their full support for the government-driven Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification that exemplifies the country's commitment to balanced development of people, planet and profits.
The MSPO is said to be a reflection of a unified code of laws concerning best practices throughout the supply chain, from oil palm planting to palm oil processing.
It is modeled in line with the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). MSPO is meant to facilitate palm oil market access through the mechanism of WTO and other multilateral or bilateral agreements with buyers.
Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (SOPPOA) chief executive officer Sylvester Fong said members are paying attention to yields and processing to achieve higher productivity targets.
“SOPPOA has appealed to the government for more focused scientific research into low oil palm yields that may have been impacted by poor pollination," he said.
Currently, companies in Sarawak which have already obtained the MSPO certification include Sarawak Oil Palms Bhd, Keresa Plantation Sdn Bhd, Rinwood Pelita (Mukah) Sdn Bhd and Ta Ann Holdings Bhd.
Recently, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, during his visit to China, announced that Palm Oil Research and Technical Service Institute of Malaysia (PORTSIM) is applying for approval from China's Ministry of Agriculture's green label.
Mah reportedly said that if the Malaysian Palm Oil Board's (MPOB) unit PORTSIM in China is able to obtain the green label, Malaysia can then raise exports for usage in China's wide range of ready-to-serve food and beverages and personal care products.
As the palm oil custodian of the country, MPOB is pushing hard for MSPO certification to be recognised by importing countries, and to obtain endorsement of Accreditation of Certification Body (ACB) for oil palm management system along the supply chain by Standards Malaysia.
The MSPO standard which is developed along the Sustainable Agriculture Practices of balanced needs of 'People, Planet and Profits' can be harmonised with China's green label requirements.
In implementing the MSPO, Malaysia hopes to restore the balance of social and economic aspects of oil palm cultivation to be on par with environmental protection.
The Sarawak government, which had also supported the MSPO certification, have repeatedly said that oil palm planting is aimed at eradicating poverty in rural areas, as it improves the living standard of the rural communities.
There are more than 300,000 oil palm smallholders contributing closed to 40 per cent to Malaysia's palm oil production of some 19 million tonnes a year.