‘More R&D on oil palm trunk’

PUTRAJAYA: The Primary Industries Ministry has called for more research and development (R&D) on Oil Palm Trunk (OPT) as an alternative material for plywood production.

Its minister Teresa Kok said about 22.3 million cu m of OPT logs were available annually locally.

“There is a new alternative material for plywood production, which is developed through the cooperation of agencies under the ministry, namely the Malaysian Timber Industry Board and Malaysian Palm Oil Board, as well as agencies such as Forest Research Institute Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia” she said at the signing of memorandum of understanding between Malaysian PanelProducts Manufacturers’ Association (MPMA) and China’s Linyi Panel Products Chamber of Commerce, here, yesterday.

“I would like to see more R&D on downstream OPT products to be carried out by organisations so more downstream OPT products can be produced,” she said.

Kok also invited the chamber to be part of the research endeavour on OPT plywood.

“I applaud the private sectordriven initiative between MPMA and Linyi Panel Products Chamber of Commerce in strengthening the bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and China.”

Kok said exports of timber and timber products had reached RM14.57 billion, with exports of wood-based panels accounting for 30 per cent, or RM4.35 billion, up to August.

“Up to August, total exports of timber and timber products from Malaysia to China stood at RM729.6 million, a 2.4 per cent rise, compared with the corresponding period last year,” she said.