01 March 2002 (Business Times) - PRIMARY Industries Minister Datuk Seri DrLim Keng Yaik will head a crude palm oil (CPO) trade mission to five WestAsian countries for two weeks starting on March 16.A Government official said Dr Lim will lead the mission to Syria, Iraq,Turkey, Egypt and Morocco to promote the commodity to the region as wellas expand Malaysia’s CPO market .

During the mission, Dr Lim will be accompanied by officials from theMalaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council andthe private sector.

“During the trip Malaysia will intensify promotional activities toincrease the uptake of the commodity which is still relatively low in theregion,” the official told Business Times in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The source added that prior to the mission Dr Lim will also accompanyPrime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on his official visit toRussia scheduled on March 10. Dr Mahathir is expected to sign a US$50million (US$1 = RM3.80) Palm Oil Credit Payment Agreement with Russiaduring the visit involving the purchase of 200,000 tonnes of CPO.

According to the MPOB, CPO exports to the five West Asian countries wererelatively low. Only 268 tonnes were exported to Iraq in 1999 and 3,324tonnes in 2000.

Syria in 1999 bought 5,693 tonnes which increased to 30,316 tonnes in2000, while during the same period Morocco bought 3,001 tonnes and 3,420tonnes respectively.

Egypt, meanwhile, bought 434,986 tonnes in 2000 and 457,451 tonnes lastyear, and Turkey during the same period bought 137,895 tonnes and 149,525tonnes respectively.

A total of 1.26 million tonnes or 13.88 per cent of Malaysia’s 9.081million tonnes of CPO exports went to West Asia in 2000.

Malaysia is the world’s largest producer of CPO, accounting for some 50per cent of the world’s CPO output in which it exported 10.593 milliontonnes to 140 countries last year.