20 Feb. 2003 (Business Times) - THE Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA)will hold a two-day seminar beginning next Monday on Good AgriculturalPractice and Food Safety Management in the palm oil industry.

MPOA chief executive M.R. Chandran said the seminar’s objective is to dealwith current and strategic themes on sustainable production challengesrelated to palm oil business.

“The global concerns about agricultural practices and its impact on theenvironment as well as food safety risks arising from health concerns areemerging issues that are beginning to impinge on food trade worldwide.

“Palm oil and its related products form an important component of thisinternational trade and MPOA hopes to appraise the entire industry of theissues, problems and their possible solutions,” Chandran told BusinessTimes in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

To be held at Putrajaya, the event will be officiated by Deputy PrimaryIndustries Minister Datuk Anifah Aman.

MPOA chairman and Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd group chief executive Tan Sri AbdulKhalid Ibrahim is also expected to deliver a speech.

Among its business programme highlights include more than 20 papersdelivered by guest speakers comprising of expert personalities fromgovernment and institutes (local and overseas).

The seminar is expected to be attended by 300 participants from eightcountries involved in oil palm cultivation, processing and otherdownstream activities in the oils and fats industry.

Participants include industry experts, estate managers, millers, palmkernel crushers, refiners, academicians, research and developmentpersonnel, policymakers, traders, shippers, suppliers and others involvedin palm oil business.

International speakers include Singapore’s Potash & Phosphate Institutedirector of East and South-East Asia programmes Dr Thomas Fairhurs,Switzerland’s Syngenta Crop Protection AG Global Business manager fornon-selective herbicides Robert Durand and Rabobank International,Singapore senior manager strategic research John A. Baker.