JAKARTA, July 30 (Reuters) - Top palm oil producers Malaysia and Indonesiawill joint forces to promote the use of palm oil and lift the price of thecommodity, Indonesian Trade and Industry Minister Rini Suwandi said onTuesday.She said officials from the Malaysian Palm oil Board (MPOB), theAssociations of Indonesian Palm Oil Producers GAPKI and the IndonesianEdible Oil Industries were scheduled to sign an agreement forming aconsultative group on palm oil."I and (Malaysian Primary Industries Minister) Lim Keng Yaik will witnessthe signing," Suwandi told reporters.She said the consultative group would focus on efforts to launch jointpromotions, cooperation in research and development, and exchanging marketinformation."We will also cooperate to counter issues that discredit palm oil, such ashealth issues," Suwandi said.She said the group would be the follow up of a broad deal reached byMalaysia and Indonesia in February last year on moves to lift palm oilprices and create better access for the commodity in main buyers India andChina.The two countries have been bitter rivals in the palm oil trade in pastyears due to oversupply in the world market.

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