PALEMBANG, July 26 Asia Pulse - President Megawati Soekarnoputri said hereSaturday crude palm oil (CPO) should become Indonesia's premier commodityin the future.

"Now, CPO is only number two on the list of Indonesian export goods. Inthe medium or long-term, it must become our number one export commodity,"Megawati said in Ogan Komering Ilir district, South Sumatra province.

During her stay in South Sumatra, the President visited and inauguratedsome industrial enteprises, including a CPO factory of PT Selapan Jaya anda wood processing plant of PT Sumatera Prima Cyberboard.

The president noted that the world's number one producer of palm-oil andrubber was Malaysia. Yet, the neighboring country was smaller in size thanSumatra island.

In 2002, the total area of oil-palm plantations in Indonesia was 4.78hectares, producing 8.85 million tons of CPO.

Indonesia's CPO exports in 2002 reached a volume of 6.33 million tons,bringing in US$3.4 billion in foreign exchange earnings.

(ANTARA)