15/09/2012 (Bernama) - Malaysia has to clear misconceptions on the palm oil industry, especially among the French, in relation to its health, nutritional outcomes, environment and sustainability standards.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said the Malaysian palm oil industry together with importers and retailers in France should explore opportunities to forge partnerships and work together towards common goals.

"In recent years in France, we have noticed an effort to misrepresent palm oil and I am not exaggerating if I say that it is the only commodity crop that receives the most amount of scrutiny, and is on the receiving end of numerous negative campaigns led by environmentally-inclined non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

"These efforts have resulted in much misinformation about Malaysian palm oil industry," he said in his welcoming remarks at a stakeholder luncheon.

Dompok said the oil palm has been planted on legally-designated agricultural land in Malaysia and some of Malaysia's plantations have been in existence for more than 75 years.

"Much negative sentiments have been passed about uncontrolled expansion of oil palm plantations and fears that these would compromise our well preserved pristine rainforests. Such notions are far from the truth indeed," he said.

He said that it has to be borne in mind that Malaysia has some 18.5 million hectares or 56 per cent of its total land area under forest and national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves.

"The government policy is that these forest areas will not be compromised and hence our commitment to the United Nations is to maintain at least 50 per cent of our land area under permanent forest cover," he said.

Dompok said oil palm plantations in Malaysia currently occupied less than 13 per cent of Malaysia's total land area.

Dompok, together with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron and Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Director- General Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May are currently on a 8-day palm oil promotion mission to France and Romania.

Meanwhile, Yusof said the Malaysian oil palm industry was very well under control and operated under highly regulated enforcement law of the MPOB.

"The smallholders cannot sell their fresh fruit bunches to palm oil mills without the licence issued by MPOB," he said.

He said Malaysia was also working towards increasing its oil palm productivity by replanting old and unproductive oil palm trees to increase fresh fruit bunches' yield.

"With good agriculture practices, we hope to achieve about six tonnes per hectare per annum by 2020 from the current four tonnes per hectare per annum," he added.