KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — The Ministry of Primary Industries will step up efforts to develop the market and branding for Malaysia’s oil palm products in South America.
Minister Teresa Kok Suh Sim said new markets will continue to be explored in the continent, including Chile and Brazil.
“The ministry through the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has been promoting the use of palm oil for the food industry in Chile, which exports 40 per cent of its food industry output,” she said when winding up the debate on the 11th Malaysia Plan Mid-term Review for her ministry in the Parliament today.
Kok said her ministry is also exploring the market in Brazil for palm oil-based fat products for the confectionery and chocolate industry.
Malaysia is set to strengthen cooperative relations with other South American producer countries such as Colombia, the world’s fourth-largest producer of palm oil, she noted.
She said the country has expressed its intention to work together with Malaysia to address issues related to the anti-palm oil campaign, control of oil palm diseases and oil palm breeding.
“To further strengthen cooperation among oil palm-producing countries, Colombia has expressed its intention to join Malaysia and Indonesia in the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).
“Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia and other producer countries in the CPOPC in principle have agreed that a working group, or Cartagena Consensus, be created to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and promote efforts to address moves to curb palm oil exports,” she added. — Bernama
