9/2/06 ( Business Times)  -  MALAYSIA, the world’s largest palm oil producer, is highly sought after in the coming EDIBLE OIL’06 International Business Fair for Edible Oils and Fats (EO’06) to satisfy demand for palm oil-based products among international buyers.

EO’06, to be held in Sevilla, Spain, from September 19 to 22 this year, follows the first EO exhibition which also took place there last year.

Organised by Germany-based SURVEY Marketing + Consulting Gmbh & Co KG, the exhibition provides a meeting point between producers of edible and non-edible oils and potential buyers.

“Everyone in Europe is looking for palm oil. At the first event last year, very little palm oil was offered.

“We want to increase the variety of products, not the number of exhibitors. The most important product in our point of view is palm oil,” said Bernd Rademacher, the managing director of SURVEY’s Malaysia representative office.

Based on updates on Bank Negara Malaysia’s website, Malaysia produced around 15 million tonnes of crude palm oil last year.

The organiser of EO’06 is expected to meet the Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council today to discuss the participation of Malaysia’s palm oil sector in the event.

Countries representing the palm oil industry during last year’s exhibition included Malaysia, Spain and Ecuador.

The previous event was dominated by producers of other commodities like sunflower and olive oils.

EO’06, catering mainly for trade visitors, is anticipated to attract up to 4,000 people with the participation of some 200 exhibitors.