26/09/05 PETALING JAYA, (Bernama) -- Golden Hope Plantations Bhd iscurrently in the final stage of a feasibility study to offer truckloadfacilities for palm oil in India, said its group chief executive officerDatuk Sabri Ahmad.

He said the areas targeted were Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Kerala inKarnataka.

The truckload facilities are offered to clients interested in purchasingpalm oil in smaller quantities

"We are currently sending 5,000 tonnes by ship to India. We are looking atselling commodity via truckload service from the storage facility," Sabritold Bernama after presenting a keynote address at the International PalmOil Congress which started, here Monday.

He said Golden Hope was currently talking to a local partner on the matterand an agreement was expected to be signed soon.

However, he declined to name the local partner in India.

Once it is concluded, Golden Hope will have storage facilities in Kakinadain the state of Andra Pradesh and Chennai.

Asked whether Golden Hope would open a refinery in India, Sabri said therewere other multinational companies which have established their refineriesthere.

"I think we should not duplicate that, not for Golden Hope (anyway)," hesaid.

On other developments concerning palm oil, Sabri suggested that Malaysiashould have vessels specifically to export palm oil.

The Malaysian shipping industry was rather small in proportion to itsstatus as the 17th largest trading nation, thus depending on foreign-ownedvessels to export a major portion of palm oil, he said.

"This has resulted in freight rates, spaces, scheduling and destination ofvessels being beyond our control," he added.

According to him, the problem was further compounded by a newinternational ruling on the shipping of oils and fats which would restrictthe availability of ship space to freight palm oil.