Borneo Post Online (23/02/2020) - TAWAU: Operators of oil palm estates that cover above 40 hectares are required to have the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification – effective this year.

Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) would be withdrawing the licence of operators who failed to comply with this requirement.

“MSPO certification is mandatory for palm oil estates, which are 100 acres (40.47 hectares) and above,” she said when met by reporters after the launch of Sabah level ‘Love MY Palm Oil’ campaign at Teck Guan Cocoa Village here yesterday.The ceremony was officiated at by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau, who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal at the event.

According to Kok, 4.42 million hectares or 74.8 per cent of the 5.9 million hectares of oil palm plantation in Malaysia, have received MSPO certification as of Feb 21.

“In terms of palm oil mills, 390 out of 452 mills found in Malaysia are also MSPO-certified,” she added.

In this regard, she said the government was projecting a rise in crude palm oil price this year following the implementation of the B20 biodiesel.

“The performance of commodity, which was tepid since 2018, has started to show positive signs with palm oil prices surpassing RM3,013.50 a tonne in January this year,” she said.

Meanwhile Mohd Shafie, in his speech text read by Madius, said the programme was a continuation of Sabah’s efforts to boost the image of the palm oil industry of the country, which was facing challenges as well as smear campaign by the European Union (EU).

“EU claims that the palm oil industry has caused deforestation apart from destroying the habitat of the orangutans, when the government through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) is cooperating with the Wildlife and National Parks Department in the conservation of the orangutans,” he said.

According to him, Sabah will continue to cooperate with the Primary Industries Ministry and palm oil industry activists to protect wildlife as a national heritage and proved the commitment of the government to ensure the oil palm industry is sustainable and environmental-friendly. — Bernama

Read more at https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/02/23/oil-palm-estates-above-40-hectares-must-be-mspo-certified/