Archived News

........This report exposes the continuing failure of successive UKGovernments and companies to address the issue. Today areas of forestsgreater than the size of Wales are being lost every year in many countriesnot just in Latin America but also in South East Asia and Africa. The rateof loss in Indonesia, for example, is actually accelerating. Theinternational trade in palm oil is driving forest clearance as well asbeing a cause of human rights abuses on a massive scale.UK consumers will be shocked to learn that they are playing an unwittingpart in the continuing destruction of the tropical rainforest not justthrough purchasing timber and paper products but through a wide variety ofeveryday items in their shopping bag. Chocolate, crisps, detergents,toothpastes and shampoo all are tainted with the damaging environmentaland social impacts of palm oil. This hidden ingredient imported frommonoculture plantations of South East Asia is found in more than 10 percent of all products on the supermarket shelves.

KARACHI (February 06 2004): The entire ghee industry in Pakistan has beenparalysed reportedly by heavy burden of duty structure imposed by thegovernment which is almost 75 percent of the C&F value.

JAKARTA, April 12 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's share of the Chinese marketfell to 1.09 per cent in January 2004 from 1.13 per cent in the same monthlast year, but the bilateral trade was still in favor of Indonesia.

KARACHI (April 01 2004): Pakistan's palm oil prices were stable over thepast week on ample stocks, and no major import orders were expected in thenear term as world prices remained high, dealers said on Wednesday.

Chemical Week - 03/31/04 : Procter & Gamble (P&G) Chemicals and Kaneka(Osaka) says they have finalized a joint agreement to commercialize NodaxH, a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate plastic for use in fiber,nonwoven, and packaging applications (CW, June 25, 2003, p. 26). Kanekaholds composition of matter and processing patents for the material, poly(3-hydroyxbutyrate.co.3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH). P&G holds patentscovering processing and applications.

04/11/04 : The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry plans to make Krabiprovince a centre for palm oil production under a 25-year plan.

15/4/04 - Though the Director General of Shipping has defined crude andproduct tankers for the purpose of applying the age norms, it has heldthat product tankers even if they carry edible oils will be banned if theydo not conform to the guidelines.

April 9 2004 - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd plans to further exploit itsoleochemicals business to strengthen the company’s foothold in the palmoil industry.

The Star, 8/4/04 - OIL palm plantation companies are hopeful the averagecrude palm oil (CPO) price this year will surpass last year's average ofRM1,544 per tonne. Industry and market players are targeting RM1,600 toRM2,201.

Wednesday April 7, 2004 - THE sharp appreciation of the Indian rupeeagainst the US dollar is working to the advantage of Malaysian palm oilexporters and construction services companies.

April 8 2004 - PENANG Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) is adding a second vegetable oiltanker pier to its wharf this year to meet increasing demand for vegetableoil handling facilities at the port.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- Total exports of chemicals and chemicalproducts amounted to RM11.3 billion in 2003, an increase of 21.6 percentover 2002, while exports in January 2004 stood at RM1.2 billion, Ministerof International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz said.