MPIC forecasts CPO production at 19.7 mln tonnes this year
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) has forecast crude palm oil (CPO) production this year to increase by about three per cent 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 the world trade, export growth is projected to continue to be encouraging, hence, 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 MCO (Movement Control Order) and emergency periods,” he said in a statement.
The minister said the agricommodity sector’s export revenue contributed RM133.2 billion or 15.1 per cent of the country’s total export revenue as of November 2020, an increase of 13.6 per cent 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 per cent with the value increased 4.8 per cent to RM64.8 billion.
Mohd Khairuddin said his ministry also fully supported Initiative 4 of the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat Protection (Permai) assistance package which is Stepping up Testing of Employees.
“The ministry will ensure agricommodity industry players tighten their standard operating procedure (SOP) practices, improve accommodation and movement control of foreign workers, as well as 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.
In the quest to alleviate the burden of the people affected by the pandemic, the government recently announced the PERMAI assistance package worth RM15 billion.