Borneo Post Online (20/10/2020) - MIRI: Oil palm smallholders in Sarawak are encouraged to apply for Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification.

According to Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC) chairman Mukhtar Suhaili, the MSPO is a national scheme that covers not only oil palm plantations and individual growers, but also palm oil processing mills.

“The MSPO certification is actually a strategic step towards increasing competitiveness in this industry and also strengthening the image of the country’s palm oil; thus expanding our market overseas,” he told The Borneo Post in a chat yesterday.

Mukhtar  said the implementation of the certification was in line with the preferences of many importing countries and global consumers regarding safe and sustainable production of agriculture products.

“There are seven key principles under MSPO — management responsibilities and commitment, transparency, compliance with legal requirements,social responsibility, health, safety, and also employment conditions.

“However, it also underlines other principles such as environment, natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the development of new crops,” he added.

He estimated that to date, 87.9 per cent of the total 5.9 million hectares of oil palm plantations in Malaysia had been MSPO-certified.

“The percentage number also covers estates, organised smallholders and individual smallholders.”

In addition, 94.03 per cent of palm oil and factories in Malaysia had obtained MSPO
certification.

On a separate issue, Mukhtar said throughout the different enforcement stages of the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the nation’s palm oil industry had been adversely affected.

“Nevertheless, we thank the government for allowing this industry to continue
operating.

“In this regard, I would like to remind all operators, including the smallholders, about the importance of complying with the standard operating procedure (SOP) and other directives set by the Ministry of Health,” he added.

On the current increase of prices for palm oil, Mukhtar described it as ‘great news’ for estate operators and the smallholders.